The Pinkie and I
by MissFlight
Summary: Pinkie Pie is the happiest pony in Equestria, and it's all thanks to Rainbow Dash. But then heartbreaking secrets are revealed and it will take everything to get her back. Pinkie Pie/Rainbow Dash WARNING: This story contains singing ponies
1. Pinkie Pie's Confession

**Author's Note:** Hello random viewers! :D Welcome to my first Fanfiction!

I have always wanted to write my own tale on one of the many fandoms I love & support but I was never inspired enough until I had read "The Party Hasn't Ended Yet" by Butterscotch Sundae (which, by the way, you ought to read before even considering reading this) and decided there needed to be more My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic stories centered on Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie.

But, in no circumstances am I under any illusion that I am going to be an awesome Fanfiction author my first try or that this piece of Fanfiction is even worth your time.

I do not own My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic or Adam Lambert's song "If I Had You"

WARNING: This story contains femslash, a suicide mention, and singing ponies that may be disturbing to some viewers. Viewer Discretion is Advised.

**Chapter 1: Pinkie Pie's Confession**

It should come as no surprise for anypony that knew her that most of Pinkie Pie's dreams consisted of delicious pastries alongside parties that lasted until dawn.

As for her nightmares, that was anypony's guess.

Under the covers, Pinkie Pie was deep asleep, trapped inside her own mind's visions…

~Dream Scene~

_Pinkie Pie was hanging onto a cliff, with chunks of dirt up in her face and ticklish grass that mocked her position as they swayed with the breeze. _

_"Don't look down, don't look down, don't look down," Pinkie muttered to herself over & over to fight off the temptation to do so. She knew from past experiences that if she were to look down-and see a rapidly, flowing river & big, sharp, pointy rocks-oh, she would lose it._

_So even though Pinkie had been holding on with sore hooves for what seemed like hours she kept holding on with all the strength she could muster out of her little pink body._

_But it was starting to seem hopeless._

"_Ooooh!" whined Pinkie when her hooves almost slipped, "SOMEPONY HELP ME!" she screamed out into the night._

_The crickets kept chirping, the owls kept hooting, and the breeze kept blowing. And still there was nopony there to answer her desperate plea for help; the world just kept on turning without a care._

_Pinkie sighed and in the corners of her eyes, tears suddenly appeared. She couldn't even remember how she got into this horrible situation! She must have done something stupid to try and impress somepony…or gotten herself separated from her friends. But for the life of her, she couldn't remember what it was. And her strength was fading faster & faster by the minute._

_Pinkie realized she wouldn't be able to hold on much longer and so she sucked in a big breath to scream out her friends' names-"Twilight! Applejack! Rarity! Fluttershy!"_

_A moment passed…_

"_RAINBOW DASH!"_

_With that final cry, her endurance had depleted completely so that her hoofs slipped off with a jerk. And she tumbled down into the darkness below where she would hit-_

~End of Dream Scene~

Pinkie Pie jolted awake, screaming into the confectionery Sugar Cube Corner's darkened rooms and hallways. Her eyes darted back & forth and she cowered under her covers, shivering. It would seem she hadn't woken up Mr. and Mrs. Cake, surprisingly. But then, suddenly, something pounced onto her which caused another scream to erupt out of her.

This scream didn't last long however when her gaze met her pet alligator's purple eyes, which normally had slits for pupils but, since it was night time, had expanded to absorb more light.

"Oh, Gummy!" she cried, hugging him to her. Gummy merely blinked but otherwise showed no reaction to her outburst. "I had such a strange and awful dream! I have no idea why-I stopped eating sugar cookies before bed a long time ago... And there wasn't any ghosties or anything…I was-"

Gummy blinked again.

"Oh, if you had only been there in the dream with me; you would have known what to do." She sighed, hugging Gummy tighter against her, if that were possible, while humoring herself with thoughts of Gummy acting out as her knight in shining armor.

And with her pet alligator's comforting green scales pressed up against her still shivering body, Pinkie began the same thought process she had gone through ever since-

Ever since-

Pinkie sighed dreamily.

Ever since she and Rainbow Dash started dating.

_Squee!_

She still couldn't believe it had happened to her-an ordinary earthy earth pony!

But Pinkie wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth; she knew better than to do that after a certain fashion show fiasco...

Anyway, it had happened after one of her trademark parties with all her bestie best pony friends. Everypony was heading for the door, congratulating her on the great party she had hosted and exiting. Rainbow Dash was the last to leave…

~Flashback~

_Pinkie Pie shut the door with a righteous "WHOOP!"_

"_Gummy," she said, addressing the alligator whose head was stuck inside a popcorn carton. "I think that was our best party yet!"_

_Of course she said that at the end of all her parties but each time it seemed like the truth before she went to even more lengths to make the next one even better._

_She then cocked her head laterally at the sight of Gummy struggling to get his head out of the popcorn carton._

"_Aw, Gummy." She pitied. "That hat is much too small for your head!"_

_Suddenly, she heard a big yawn from behind her._

"_Whaa-woah!" Rainbow Dash was resting on the confetti-covered sofa, much to Pinkie's surprise. She was sure that everypony had already left and couldn't remember Dashie stopping to take a nap. "Pinkie, what are you doing in my house? Y-you can't fly!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed, sitting up from the sofa of which she had been dozing on not one minute earlier._

_Pinkie Pie blinked once, twice-_

_She erupted into giggles. "Oh, Dashie!"_

"_What?" Rainbow Dash's eyes narrowed. "What's so funny? Did you prank me?"_

"_No!" denied Pinkie, still giggling like mad._

"_Then how-_"

"_You fell asleep, Dashie!" explained Pinkie. "I guess you got partied out." She added, smiling._

_Rainbow Dash yawned again and stretched her powerful, feathery blue wings._

"_Well, great party, Pinkie-yada yada yada..." she started heading for the door._

"_Wait! You're leaving?" Pinkie asked, struggling to hide her desperation. "Won't you stay just a teeny tiny while longer?"_

_Unbeknownst to Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie had been developing a very big crush on her over the time they had been bestie best friends. Maybe it was because of her dazzling rainbow mane & tail, complete with lively roseate eyes. Maybe it was because of her amazing talent in flying & lightning quick speed. Maybe it was her confident attitude with the way she walked like she owned the place. Maybe it was because of the ever faithful loyalty she had in her friends & awe-inspiring energy she had in everything she did._

_Or maybe it was all of the above._

_Either way, Pinkie Pie had fell hard for her and now she had a chance to have her all to herself! And just the thought of being alone with Rainbow Dash made her feel all kinds of feelings-she felt giddy, afraid, nervous, & determined- all at once! It was starting to make her mind dizzy trying to focus on just one feeling Rainbow Dash brought upon inside her. But she was sure of one thing-she couldn't hide her feelings any longer. She had to tell her. Scream it! GET IT OUT SOMEHOW!_

"_Pinkie?" Rainbow Dash poked Pinkie Pie in the side, which earned a surprised gasp that morphed into a giggle for her efforts._

"_Huh? Oh hi, Dashie." Pinkie Pie replied, batting her eyelashes innocently after she came back to._

"_Were you not listening to me?" sighed Rainbow Dash, annoyed._

_Pinkie Pie frowned, "Oh sorry, Dashie; I guess I just zoned out." she giggled again._

_Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes, "So, can I go home now?" Not waiting for an answer, she started walking to the entrance to Sugar Cube Corner to take her leave. _

_Pinkie Pie gasped, "No, no, no, no, you can't! Not yet!" Pinkie sprung up in front of Rainbow Dash to block the exit, her eyes wide with urgency. "I have something SUPER important to tell you."_

_Rainbow Dash sat down on the floor, much like a dog would. "Well, spit it out!"_

_Pinkie Pie gasped melodramatically again, shifting her eyes around in faux anxiousness, "Spit out what, Dashie? I don't have any bubble gum, I swear! If you want some you could have just asked-_"

_Rainbow Dash let out a frustrated sigh, "No, Pinkie, I meant go ahead and tell me what is SO important that it can't wait until tomorrow." she explained, gesturing with a hoof._

"_Ooh!" Pinkie said; her big blue eyes wide in understanding. "Okie dokie lokie!"_

_Pinkie Pie took in a big breath, her eyes closed in the process. You can do this Pinkie, she thought to herself. Just tell her! You've been waiting for a perfect opportunity like this._

"_I-I-" Pinkie Pie stuttered, her eyes opening again to see Rainbow Dash's reaction._

_Rainbow Dash looked none too happy at the moment, starting to tap one of her hooves._

"_Uhh…oh…um…" Pinkie Pie struggled to find the right words to express her feelings. A confession seemed so much easier in her Pinkie head! But with Dashie staring at her like she had grown two other heads, she couldn't bring herself to even THINK._

"_Well?" Rainbow Dash prompted, smiling nervously._

_Pinkie Pie was in big trouble now. She had to think of a good excuse-and quick!_

"_I..I just…" Pinkie sighed miserably. "I wanted to thank you for attending my party." She muttered at last, hanging her head in the shame & disappointment she felt at herself._

_And just like that, Rainbow Dash forgot all about her hurry to get home and looked at Pinkie Pie with genuine concern. "Is something wrong, Pinkie?"_

"_No…it's nothing." Pinkie Pie answered, shifting her front hooves uneasily. "Sorry for wasting your time." Pinkie Pie started walking to the stairs, ready to curl up on her bed in defeat._

_Rainbow Dash stared after Pinkie for a few moments and then, before she could convince herself not to, clamped her mouth on Pinkie's tail, tugging gently. "Hey!" she mumbled around Pinkie Pie's tail, which she couldn't help but notice had a distinct smell of chocolate cake frosting._

_Pinkie Pie gasped, wide eyed. "Huh?" she said inanely, turning around._

_Rainbow Dash released Pinkie's tail, smiling slightly. "We're best friends, right? Now you tell me what's bothering you."_

_Pinkie Pie bit her lip nervously. "I don't know, Dashie. What I tell you could change our bestfriendship-forever! And I don't know what I'd do if you hated me."_

_Now Rainbow Dash was really confused…and curious. But she wouldn't let Pinkie know this. "Oh, come on! Nothing you say could ever change our friendship." Rainbow Dash reassured her, using her hoof in a "Pssh!" gesture._

_Pinkie Pie perked up at this, "Nothing?"_

"_Nothing." Rainbow Dash nodded, smiling & imploring Pinkie with her rose colored eyes to tell her what it was…and then…_

"_Nothing…even if I said I had an enormously huge crush on you?" Pinkie slapped her hoof across her mouth as soon as she said the words; oopsie._

_Rainbow Dash blinked._

"_Wha-what?"_

_Pinkie Pie could feel the tears forming already and she told herself to hold them in until she could finish her confession properly. Since their friendship was surely ruined now, she couldn't do much more damage, right? She sighed in resignation._

"_Dashie, I…I really like you. More than a bestie best friend should...and I've been meaning to tell you for awhile now." She started shifting her front hooves around nervously again, staring down at them as if she had never taken notice of them before. "Soooo…" Suddenly, Rainbow Dash could hear music. A steady techno beat was playing; where was it coming from? Oh no, she wasn't ACTUALLY going to-_

"_So I got my party hat on, got the right 'mount of confetti,_

_And I'm tryin' to ignore how I've suddenly got sweaty,"_

_Rainbow Dash groaned inwardly. She IS._

"_And I'm workin' my strut but I know it don't matter,_

_All we need in this world is some love." Pinkie Pie sang while strutting and then made a heart shape with her forelegs, grinning._

_Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow at this._

"_There's a thin line-" Pinkie Pie ducked under the counter so she couldn't be seen, "'tween the dark side" Pinkie Pie popped up again with a paper bag over her head that had deranged eyes and a malevolent grin drawn on it, like a Jack O'Lantern. "And the light side, baby, tonight." She then lifted up the paper bag with a charismatic grin and proceeded to prance around again._

"_It's a struggle, gotta rumble, trying to fiiiiiind it." Pinkie Pie continued on, swaying back & forth. It was quiet for a few seconds and then Pinkie Pie burst into song again._

"_But if I had you!"_

_Rainbow Dash eyes widened in surprise while Pinkie Pie thrust herself into her personal space, practically just under her nose. "That would be the only thing I'd ever need!"_

_Rainbow Dash smiled hestitantly, backing up ever so slightly from the singing pink pony._

"_Yeah, if I had you! Then money, fame, and fortune never could compete." Pinkie Pie informed Rainbow Dash, while she frolicked around. "Yeah, if I had you! Life would be a party, it'd be ecstasy!" she sang, throwing colorful confetti up in the air to prove her point._

"_Yeah, if I had you," Pinkie Pie kept popping up everywhere unexpectedly inside the gingerbread house, whether it was behind, above, or under Rainbow Dash. "Pinkie Pie," Rainbow Dash began but was tuned out._

"_If I had you." Pinkie Pie finished._

_Rainbow Dash waited with her eyes closed & then, cautiously, peeked out one before going slump with relief and saying, "Oh thank-"_

_Pinkie Pie immediately started up the song again in full swing "From Manehattan to Canterlot, getting high rock n' rollin'," while Rainbow Dash deflated in disappointment and pinned her ears back in annoyance._

_"Get a room, trash it up 'til it's ten in the mornin',_

_Mares in pretty dresses, stallions pulling in carriages,_

_What they need in this world is some love." Pinkie Pie lightly bumped butts with Rainbow Dash who gave an indignant snort but Pinkie Pie had already trotted off._

"_There's a thin line 'tween a wild time," Pinkie Pie started dancing around in a circle and then doing somersaults, causing everything around her to be thrown in all directions due to her outstretched limbs, including Gummy. "and a flat line, baby, tonight." Pinkie Pie ceased her somersaults at her full height, her eyes going 'round and 'round in their dizziness but her singing never stopped. "It's a struggle, gotta rumble, tryin' to find it."_

_Rainbow Dash just gaped at her, not that Pinkie noticed. Like, seriously, did she plan doing all this? It seemed choreographed..._

"_But if I had you, that would be the only thing I'd ever need,_

_Yeah, if I had you, then money, fame, and fortune never could compete." Which was a silly thing to say, according to Rainbow Dash. Money? Fame? Fortune? I'd be SO there._

"_Yeah, if I had you,_

_Rainbow Dash sighed, here she goes again, she thought._

_"If I had-"_

_Then, startling Rainbow, the lights in the room started flashing, turning different colors-blue, yellow, purple, green, red, blue, yellow, purple-_

_"The flashing of the lights," Pinkie Pie sang, while said lights were just about giving Rainbow Dash a seizure. "It might feel so good."_

_The lights stopped their erratic flashing of colors, of which Rainbow Dash was grateful for up until Pinkie Pie was up in her face again. "But I've got you stuck on my mind, yeah!" Pinkie Pie sung to Rainbow Dash, throwing her forelegs out in a flaunting manner with a silly smile upon her face._

_After that, it seemed that Pinkie Pie had calmed down a bit and she stood there, starting to lower her little pink head full of crazy curls. "That would be the only thing I'd ever need." She now sang solemnly. "Yeah, if I had you, the money, fame, and fortune never could compete…" She said all of this softly. But then the music picked up speed again and she raised her head high to sing louder than ever before, "IF I HAD YOU!"_

_Pinkie Pie moved around so fast Rainbow Dash's eyes could barely follow._

_Pinkie Pie stopped to stand face to face with Rainbow Dash, her sky blue eyes beseeching Rainbow Dash's roseate and she brought their hooves together. And then, still holding hooves with Rainbow Dash, she took a big breath, pouring her heart and soul into the final verse. "That would be the only thing I'd ever need. Yeah, if I had you, then money, fame, and fortune never could compete. Never could compete with you." And this time, Rainbow Dash felt something inside of her stir as Pinkie Pie sang-it was warm and fuzzy. It was weird. But she ignored it and just let Pinkie Pie continue the song to get it over with._

"_If I had you, life would be a party it'd be ecstasy. It'd be ecstasy with you. Yeah, if I had you." Pinkie Pie's eyes started to water and she whispered one last time, "If I had you."_

_With that final note hanging in the air, Pinkie Pie stood there to wait for Rainbow's response. She bit her lip nervously and shuffled her hooves in anticipation. Now what?_

_Her thoughts barely had the time to form when Rainbow Dash started to laugh. Wait-SHE WAS LAUGHING? Pinkie Pie couldn't have imagined a worse rejection than this. She was laughing at her! Why would she-_

_"Oh, Pinkie Pie; you're so random!" Rainbow Dash managed to say between her fit of raucous laughter. "Best prank yet!" Rainbow declared, nodding her approval. "I almost ACTUALLY believed you-"_

_"That I have an enormously huge crush on you?" Pinkie Pie was hurt. It seemed not even her bestie best friend could take her feelings seriously; all this time, she thought Rainbow Dash was different from the other ponies. "It's the truth, Dashie."_

_Now Rainbow Dash was speechless; her face a mixture of feelings._

_Seeing that Rainbow Dash was not going to answer anytime soon, Pinkie Pie turned tail and ran up the stairs as fast as she could in her current state._

_Once Pinkie Pie had left the scene, Rainbow Dash stood there gawking at the empty place she had been._

_But-how-what...?_

_Rainbow Dash had never felt so tangled up inside. Her feelings were pulling her in two different directions. One part of her heart screamed at her to rush upstairs to Pinkie Pie and the other demanded she fled and pretend the whole musical number & following confession never happened._

_Except that wouldn't make her a very good friend then, would it? Not a loyal friend either, for that matter. And she couldn't just ditch her after a performance she'd probably been working on for months. Although, knowing Pinkie, she might have just improvised it all._

_Rainbow Dash sighed, letting her good conscience win this battle._

_As Rainbow Dash climbed up the stairs, she contemplated how she could comfort a crying Pinkie while still not leading her on._

"_Gee, I'm flattered, Pinkie Pie. But..."_

"_Listen, Pinkie, I'm a mare, right? And YOU'RE a mare. It just wouldn't work-"_

"_I just am not ready for a relationship."_

_Yeah! I'll go with that, Rainbow Dash thought, proud of herself for coming up with something so simple and straightforward yet tactful. And totally reasonable._

_Rainbow Dash at this point was patting herself on the back when she finally arrived at the door to Pinkie Pie's room._

_Rainbow Dash gulped, mentally preparing herself for a hysterical Pinkie Pie. Should I knock first? She wondered to herself._

_After a few hesitations, Rainbow Dash gave a soft knock on the door, half hoping Pinkie wouldn't answer._

_When she didn't receive an answer, she knocked again._

_And again, there was no answer._

"_Pinkie! It's me." Rainbow Dash called out, starting to get worried. She leaned her ear against the door but didn't hear anything on the other side. Not a good sign._

_Wouldn't she be like, crying? Rainbow Dash mused. But she could detect no crying, sobs, or sniffling on the other end._

_Rainbow Dash took a breath and opened the door slowly. She peeked inside, her eyes immediately resting on Pinkie's very pink & fluffy four poster bed. But it was empty!_

"_Ah, ponyfeathers." Rainbow Dash muttered, her ears drooping. She gazed around at all the candy themed furniture, looking for places Pinkie could be hiding. Then she noticed the open door to the balcony…_

"_She wouldn't." Rainbow barely breathed out the words before she was cantering out the door to see. And her fears were confirmed._

_There she was; that silly little pink party pony out on the balcony in the glittering moonlight, settled against the railing._

_Her eyes were closed, as though she were in great concentration. She was definitely thinking hard over something, considering…_

_For some reason, that scared Rainbow Dash._

"_Pinkie?" Rainbow Dash called out meekly._

_Pinkie Pie's beautiful blue eyes opened but something was off about them. They weren't filled with the same exuberance as they usually were. They were devoid of any life. They were…empty. Listless. Hopeless._

_Dead._

_Pinkie Pie turned her head to look back at Rainbow Dash. "Hi, Dashie." She offered a weak smile._

"_Pinkie, what are you doing out on the balcony like that?" Rainbow Dash demanded, hoping she was wrong about the whole situation. Maybe she wanted a closer look at the moon, stars & constellations? Find some deeper meaning behind the sky?_

"_I-I don't know. I was thinking-"_

"_Thinking about what?" Rainbow Dash cut her off, rosy eyes narrowed in anger. "Jumping off the railing?" she blurted._

"_Uh…" Pinkie Pie trailed off, her eyes still looking bleak._

_Now Rainbow Dash knew she was serious and she felt her heart beat faster._

"_Pinkie! How could you-why would you even CONSIDER-this is ridiculous!" Rainbow Dash couldn't believe it. Pinkie Pie, the most cheery & life-loving pony she had ever met, was contemplating SUICIDE? Over HER?_

_At that moment, Rainbow Dash decided something. Something that would change her life forever._

_And so before Pinkie Pie had the chance to reply, Rainbow Dash quickly took matters into her own hooves._

"_Pinkie Pie? I came here to ask if you'd…if you'd want to go out with me…" It took all of her willpower but Rainbow Dash managed to say it, even if she slightly mumbled the last part while blushing._

_Pinkie Pie perked her ears up at this, not believing what she was hearing. Was she dreaming? Was it really RAINBOW DASH speaking to her right at this very moment?_

"_Uh-" And with that, Pinkie Pie let go of the railing and fainted onto the balcony's floor._

~End of Flashback~

And so that was how it had happened. It had been the happiest day of Pinkie Pie's life. (So far)

With all that in mind, she pondered over whether she should ask Rainbow Dash-again, mind you- if she would consider staying at Sugarcube Corner with her. Isn't that the sort of thing lovers would do? Sleep together? Pinkie Pie giggled at the thought. _Oh, I'm getting ahead of myself. _Pinkie Pie knew that if she were to ask Rainbow Dash of this, she should also be prepared to tell their friends of their secret relationship. But THAT thought made Pinkie nervous. And how she hated being nervous! The sweat, the dizziness in the head, and the worried thoughts swirling around in a torrent-what if they didn't approve? What if they were disgusted? What if they wouldn't be their friends anymore?

Pinkie Pie moaned in frustration. She wasn't used to this feeling of anticipation! She usually faced everything head on with a smile. She was like Rainbow Dash, in that aspect. But her friend's thoughts & feelings meant a lot to her and it would absolutely devastate her if they were to turn on her.

Then Pinkie Pie thought back to Rainbow Dash. _If our friends were to ever betray us, I'd at least have Rainbow Dash, in the end. _With that thought in mind, Pinkie Pie smiled, releasing Gummy from her hooves.

"I'm going to ask her! Tomorrow!" Pinkie Pie declared to Gummy with her forelegs spread wide in her newfound enthusiasm. Gummy, however, was already curling up on the comforter to go back to his sleep. Following suit, the pink pony with the wild hairdo settled back in to drift off into a, thankfully, dreamless slumber.

~Morning~

It was turning out to be a very promising summer day. The sun was practically smiling down on Ponyville in all its bright & shining glory. There was no breeze and not a cloud in sight!

This liberated the pegasus ponies to some break time up in the clouds, catching some extra z's while down below in Ponyville, every other pony was out doing activities with their friends in the perfect weather.

One pink pony in particular was skipping along a path that would lead her to Rainbow's floating house, as she did just about every day of every morning. At last she had reached her destination and she sat back to start pulling in as much air as she could to scream: "RAINBOW DASH!"

She waited for the response, which usually took a while since Rainbow Dash tended to be a lazy pony. Sometimes Pinkie would visit in Twilight Sparkle's hot air balloon or with a bundle of balloons cinched at her waist as her lift-she even would have used her crazy, flying contraption had Gilda not broken it beyond repair on her first and last visit to Ponyville.

But it was such a bother to do all that, so she had resorted to walking there and waiting on Rainbow Dash to fly down to her level.

Just when Pinkie Pie was preparing herself for another shout out, Rainbow Dash swooped down in her usual impressive fashion.

"Hey, Pinks." She said, flashing a quick smile. Pinkie Pie practically tackled Rainbow Dash, almost knocking her over, like she did every time she greeted her. But Rainbow Dash had learned to be prepared for it every time.

"Rainbow Dash!" she cried lovingly.

Pinkie Pie absolutely loved mornings for this reason alone: she could be the first pony to see Rainbow Dash right after she woke up. So, Pinkie Pie had started waking up earlier and earlier, sometimes even at the crack of dawn, just to make sure she was ready to go meet & greet Dashie.

She did, of course, asked if Rainbow Dash minded this to which she had replied "Nothing you can do or say would bother me." with an unnaturally cheesy smile.

Pinkie Pie had practically swooned.

"What's up?" Rainbow Dash asked, as she usually did.

"The sky, the sun, but no clouds today… ooh! And I can see your house from here, too!" Pinkie Pie went on to list everything that was "up" like she usually did, which earned a smile from Rainbow, like it usually did.

"It looking' to be an awesome day, isn't it?" Rainbow Dash speculated, still drinking in the scenery.

Pinkie Pie nodded and then remembered what she had planned to ask today. "Ooh! Dashie! Dashie! Dashie!" she enthused, bouncing up and down. This usually meant she had something very important to ask or say.

"Yes, Pinkie Pie?" Rainbow Dash said tolerantly, with a half smile.

"I was wondering-" and just like that, Pinkie Pie had turned as timid as Fluttershy and started to talk as soft, too.

And THIS usually meant she had something embarrassing or sentimental to say or ask. Ah yes, three months dating and Rainbow Dash could now read Pinkie Pie like a open book. Well, maybe not a book-that would be more like something Twilight the Egghead would say.

Rainbow Dash waited for Pinkie Pie to get on with it, but being patient wasn't one of her many talents. "Mmmhmm?" she prompted.

"About-you know-"

"No, I don't know."

"Oh. Well, remember when I asked-you know-"

"Pinkie!"

"If you would stay over at Sugarcube Corner with me!" Pinkie Pie finished in a rush, her eyes automatically closed as if Rainbow Dash would explode in rage.

When she didn't receive a response right away though, she popped one eye open to see Rainbow Dash's reaction.

Rainbow Dash was staring at the ground, solemn.

It was silent.

Pinkie Pie hated silence so she continued on talking, "I know it would be weird if our friends found out so I am prepared to tell them finally, about our relationship."

It was still silent, minus the birds chirping in the distance, likely the work of Fluttershy.

"Are _you_?" Pinkie Pie probed.

Rainbow Dash heaved a long, regretful sigh.

"Pinkie, I-I can't." she finally replied, refusing to look up. "I'm sorry." she added, as an afterthought really.

She hoped Pinkie Pie might walk away-maybe even break up with her?- so she wouldn't have to see the disappointment & rejection written all over her pink face. Rainbow Dash honestly hated to do this to Pinkie-but she had to. She wasn't ready yet.

She wasn't ready to tell Pinkie that she didn't see her that way.

And that she wanted out.


	2. Set the Date

**Chapter 2: Set the Date**

"GET BACK HERE, YA LIL' VARMINT!"

"Oh, please, Applejack, try and be more gentle."

"Ah TRIED being gentle wit' that darn rambunctious, lil' critt'er."

"Oh, well, perhaps you could try again?"

Applejack sighed, "Fluttershy, that bunny is a thief! An' we don't tolerate thieves here at Sweet Apple Acres."

As of now, Applejack and Fluttershy were trying to work together to capture the "thief"; a lively, grey bunny that was bouncing up ahead with a carrot tucked in its cute, little mouth.

"Oh, well, I'm sure he didn't know any better; maybe he has a family to feed?"

"Well, that would explain all 'em missin' carrots over the past few weeks." The Apple family's supply of carrots had been dwindling mysteriously recently; all their hard earned bits wasted on food that disappeared without any known reason. And now they had finally caught the reason in the act.

"Oh, he must be so scared…" Fluttershy fretted.

"Ah don't care how he's feelin'." Applejack said, picking up speed again while Fluttershy tagged along behind on her wings. "He ain't gettin' away this time!"

"Oh, dear…" Fluttershy murmured, falling behind. While Fluttershy stayed behind to avoid seeing the bunny get rough handled by Applejack and figure out a way to convince said pony to let it go, she could hear distant yelling. It sounded familiar too…wait, was it coming from above her or-?

Oof!

"Ow…" Fluttershy commented from under Rainbow who had landed on her rather roughly, knocking her down and causing dust to rise all around them.

"Ugh…oh, gosh! Fluttershy! Are you okay?" Rainbow Dash had picked herself up and looked down at the pony she had just about crushed in concern.

"Um…I'm okay." Fluttershy stood up rather unsteadily and shook herself off. Rainbow Dash winced at the sight of a now developing bruise on Fluttershy's flank.

"Aw, I'm really sorry. I was practicing my Fantastic Filly Flash." Rainbow Dash explained. "You can guess what happened." She added, tucking in her wings.

"Oh, my..." Fluttershy said, her deep cyan eyes widening.

"Yeah, it was horrible. If I'm ever going to join the Wonderbolts I have to sta-"

"Uh, Rainbow, l-look out!" Fluttershy warned frantically, indicating that someone or something was coming from behind. But before Rainbow Dash could get the chance to turn around and see the source of Fluttershy's panic, she was tackled to the ground rather forcibly. Much like what had transpired to Fluttershy not one minute earlier.

"Ah got ya now!" Applejack cried triumphantly.

"Owww! Applejack, it's me, now get off!" Rainbow Dash barked angrily, oblivious to the fact that Applejack's eyes were impaired due to the dirt obscuring them.

"Rainbow Dash?" Applejack asked, recognizing the pegasus's voice, confused. "What in tarnation are ya doin' here? Where's Fluttershy?"

"Uh, right here." Fluttershy peeped, staring down at the pony pile in front of her.

"Helllloooo? GET OFF ME ALREADY." Rainbow Dash demanded, smacking her hooves on the ground in impatience.

"Oh, what? Sorry." Applejack said apologetically, lifting herself up, a little wobbly in doing so.

Rainbow Dash leaped to her feet and turned around to face her.

"What in the hay were you thinking, Applejack? Didn't you see me?" Rainbow Dash wanted to know. But then she finally took note of the condition of Applejack's eyes.

Applejack shook her head all around, clearing her eyes of the dirt that had temporarily prevented her from seeing properly and straightening her light brown Stetson hat. "That sneaky, lil' rat-"

"Bunny," Fluttershy corrected automatically, blushing and smiling sheepishly when she realized she'd said it aloud.

"-bunny" Applejack consented, stamping a hoof, "was playin' some sorta mind games wit' me. Got me thinkin' ah had him at a dead end an' then went an' dug up dirt all over my face like some sneaky fox. Why, ah'm fixin' ta make bunny stew outta 'em now."

Fluttershy gasped, horrified at the thought of bunny stew.

"Oh no, Applejack, you mustn't do such an unspeakable thing!"

"Oh, ah was only kiddin', Fluttershy," Applejack reassured her, feeling guilty for upsetting her friend. "But ah shore as hay ain't lettin' him get away without some repercussions."

"Let me talk to him." Fluttershy volunteered, smiling.

"Aight, ya do that, just as soon as ah find-"

Fluttershy leaned her head down to the bunny that had been cowering behind her hoof and spoke to him sternly, but in a soft manner; something only Fluttershy could accomplish, "Alright, Mr. Bunny, it wasn't a very nice thing what you did to Applejack; now, you apologize."

Applejack gaped, never realizing the bunny had been hiding right from under her nose and restrained herself from leaping at it in anger. Rainbow Dash watched all of this in amusement.

The bunny stared at Fluttershy for a moment and then looked up to Applejack, who gritted her teeth at it. His whiskers wiggled a bit and he looked down in what looked like shame.

"You should know better than to steal from such a nice pony like Applejack; stealing is wrong. But, for your case, I have a solution. Instead of being a bad bunny and stealing what does not belong to you, you can come live with me and I'll provide you with all the carrots you and your family will ever need." Fluttershy said warmly, offering a small smile.

The bunny perked its ears up at this and seemed to give a small nod.

Fluttershy smiled again, swinging her head back up to face her friends.

"See, Applejack? It just takes some gentle reasoning." Fluttershy said.

"Ah reckon that's one way to handle a thief." Applejack agreed. "Nice work, sugarcube."

Fluttershy blushed and smiled happily at the praise.

Rainbow Dash yawned, "Well, as fun as this has all been, I gotta go. Ya know, signature moves to perfect, places to be, and ponies to see. So, see ya!" She gave a half hearted wave and then dashed away on her wings, leaving behind a wind that ruffled up Applejack and Fluttershy's manes.

Applejack blew out between the strands of her mane that was now swept up in her line of sight, "That pony takes herself way too seriously."

Fluttershy made no comment.

~Sugarcube Corner~

Pinkie Pie lay in her bed, but not on her pillow. Rather, she was turned the other way around so that her head rested on the end of her bed while she was wallowing in pity-or whatever it is ponies wallow in when they're extremely upset.

And Pinkie Pie was extremely upset.

"Why does love have to be so complicated?" Pinkie Pie sighed to herself. "It sure isn't like that in the movies!" Pinkie Pie sighed for the twentieth time this evening alone and stewed in silence for a few minutes.

"Maybe it's complicated because me and Rainbow Dash are both mares," she thought aloud. "I've never watched a movie with two mares in love…ooh! Idea!" Pinkie Pie leaped up out of her upside down position, her eyes sparkling in enthusiasm. "What if me and Rainbow Dash MADE a movie? About US?'

It was silent for a few minutes more.

Pinkie Pie frowned and decided,"Nah, Rainbow Dash hates wearing makeup. And everypony wears makeup in movies."

Pinkie Pie sighed again and walked over to the balcony to ponder some more on her love life troubles. As soon as she walked out though, she noticed something curious.

There were hundreds of multi-colored paper flyers drifting down from the sky! Pinkie Pie gasped and leaned over the railing. "Wow!" she exclaimed at the small spectacle.

Then, what pony should happen to rush past, but of course, Rainbow Dash!

"Dashie!" Pinkie Pie called out, waving to get her attention. What a stroke of luck that the pony she couldn't get her mind off of would happen to be right outside her balcony.

The pony with the rainbow mane & tail stopped in midflight to swing around and see who had been calling her nickname, though she had a good guess-"Oh, hi Pinkie." She greeted.

"What are you doing? Do you see all this?" Pinkie Pie gestured all around her, where the flyers were still drifting toward the ground, taking their time to settle.

"Sure I do; I'm the one who dropped them." Rainbow Dash said calmly.

"You're littering?" Pinkie Pie accused melodramatically.

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes, "No, I'm helping Applejack get more participants for her Square Dance Party." She gestured to the faded, brown mailbag slung over her shoulder, only half full of the flyers that were raining down on Ponyville.

Pinkie Pie gasped, eyes gone wide, "Applejack is having a party? And she didn't ask for my help?" she practically yelled, clearly insulted. "Has she forgotten? I LIVE for parties!" She said, waving a foreleg at her flank with her cutie mark of balloons to make her point.

Rainbow Dash smirked, "Aw, come on. You know how Applejack is; won't ask for help until she's worked herself to death."

Pinkie Pie's justified anger melted away, "Yeah…" she acknowledged, eyebrows furrowed."But still! I could have helped arrange the decorations, set up the games-ooh! Do you think there will be Pin-The-Tail-On-The-Pony? I love that game! Of course, I also love the game-"

"It's a square dance, Pinkie. And she arranged it to promote her apple farm business." Rainbow Dash cut in before Pinkie Pie could recall all of her many favorite games.

"Oh." Pinkie Pie said, understanding dawning on her pink face. Suddenly, Pinkie Pie's eyes grew to the size of saucers, "Ooh, Dashie! Do you know what this means?" Pinkie Pie was now bouncing on the balcony in her excitement over whatever had just gone through her Pinkie head.

"I'm not going to get any work done?" Rainbow Dash guessed, folding her forehooves in impatience while still in mid-air.

Pinkie Pie ignored this, "WE could go to the Square Dance Party!"

Rainbow Dash gave a look as if to say "And your point is..?"

"Together." Pinkie Pie hinted, smiling slyly.

Now Rainbow Dash's eyes were the size of saucers.

Pinkie Pie merely giggled, "Oh, it'd be perfect! It would be like our coming-out party!" she gushed as Rainbow Dash blanched.

"Heh…heh heh…yeah." Rainbow Dash said, nervous sweat trickling down her forehead. "But, Pinkie, we already discussed this. Remember, this morning?" Rainbow Dash reminded her, praying to the sun goddess Celestia that the free-spirited pink pony hadn't gotten her hopes up again.

But Pinkie Pie's smile didn't falter, "Oh, but I'm sure you've changed your mind since then! Right?" Pinkie Pie looked to Rainbow Dash for confirmation.

"Uh…"

"Great! So, it's settled. This is going to be so much fun, I can't wait!" And with one last blinding smile, the extremely giddy Pinkie Pie headed back inside, even as Rainbow Dash's hoof lifted in objection. Rainbow Dash let out a sigh.

How does that even happen?

~20 Minutes Later~

Pinkie Pie was positively, completely, absolutely hysterical. She kept pacing back and forth in her room so much that one began to wonder if it were possible she would worn a groove through the floor. It was pure luck that Mr. and Mrs. Cake were out getting more supplies for their shop or they would have been alerted to the pony panicking upstairs.

"This is bad! Oh, why did I have to blurt my big mouth?" Pinkie Pie scolded herself, while staring down at the flyer she had easily taken in from outside.

The Square Dance was to be held in a week, according to the hot-pink flyer.

Pinkie Pie only had a week to get ready for a dance with Rainbow Dash! Oh, how could Applejack have been planning this party in secrecy for so long? Why didn't she give her bestie best friends an advanced notice? Now Pinkie Pie was going to be super busy trying to find the most perfect of all perfect dresses! She had to look good for Rainbow Dash. And Rainbow Dash? Well, she could go to the Square Dance completely bare and would still outshine her! And, knowing Rainbow Dash, that's probably what she planned to do…

Pinkie Pie huffed in frustration.

_Ooh, wait!_

Pinkie Pie's spirits instantly lifted, as an idea came to thought. _I could ask Rarity!_ She thought, grinning. _She makes the best dresses, after all! And we're bestie best friends, so I'm sure she'd be more than happy to oblige!_

Now that Pinkie Pie had a plan for her dress, she had other things to take into consideration. And when Pinkie took things into consideration, she tended to overdo it. So her train of thought went something similar to this…

_Holy ravioli, maybe this dance is the place where me and Rainbow Dash will FINALLY kiss! Eep!_

Yes, it was true. The young couple still did not engage in kissing yet. However many times Pinkie Pie tried to initiate one, even as inexperienced as she was, Rainbow Dash would suddenly remember she had clouds to clear or a bear to house-sit, leaving Pinkie Pie rather confused and flustered.

_And then- we'll get married! And when we're married, we'll live in a floating house together, 'cause I mean, how cool would that be? LIKE SUPER DUPER COOL. I bet Twilight could come up with a spell so I could walk on clouds again, 'cause she's like so smart. Ooh, and Twilight will be like our adoptive kids auntie. Oh my gosh, we'll gonna adopt kids? YAY!_

With her head up in the clouds, Pinkie Pie continued her relentless fantasies while elsewhere somepony was just about having a nervous breakdown…

~Elsewhere~

_Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh…_

Rainbow Dash's thoughts were whirling-what am I gonna do? Should I cancel at last minute? But what if that pushes her over the edge? WHAT AM I GOING TO DO?

Rainbow Dash felt her head would explode from all of the thinking she was doing and she held it in her hooves, as if she had a headache.

Ugh, I need to clear my head. She decided, standing up to spread her wings on the drifting cloud she had been resting on. Then, without warning, she jumped off, flapping her wings with ease as she soared up high into the sky; no thinking required.

It was so easy to forget all her troubles when she was flying; it was all just so…natural for her. She did lazy circles in the sky, smiling in bliss with her eyes closed while the wind ruffled her feathers gently. So quiet. So peaceful.

So boring.

Rainbow Dash eyes popped back open and she smirked, determined to get this move to perfection. Onward, she started flying faster and faster and faster and faster…

And then she abruptly stopped and dived, her tongue sticking out in her concentration. She stared down below at the Everfree Forest and, if she got this right, she wouldn't be going down there. With the Everfree Forest looming ahead, err, below, she swooped herself back up at the last possible second, her signature rainbow zooming behind her. She slowed her speed a bit, and glanced back behind at the Everfree Forest.

"Ha!" she blew a raspberry childishly at the Everfree Forest's offending view, proud of herself for managing to not crash into it. That would have been bad…

About fifteen minutes practicing her tricks and just flying around, Rainbow Dash had pushed Pinkie Pie to the back of her mind.

~Meanwhile~

Pinkie Pie had finally finished her daydreaming and was now skipping cheerily to Carousel Boutique, greeting everypony she happened to come by in her good mood.

_Hmm, I wonder what color it should be_, Pinkie Pie mused. _Oh, I know! Pink!_

That was easy.

Before she knew it, Pinkie Pie had arrived at Carousel Boutique and was standing outside the door. The sign hanging on the door declared the shop was still open so Pinkie Pie invited herself in, even though she was tempted to ring the fancy doorbell embedded on the side. But Rarity had restricted her to that privilege, ever since the last time she'd visited and nearly broken it with the amount of times she had pressed it.

"Hellllloooo?" she called out, looking around for the boutique's only empolyee. "Rarity?"

"Meow?" The white Persian cat Opal, short for Opalescence, was the only one to answer her, as it sat and swished its tail around itself.

Pinkie Pie looked down and giggled at the kitty cat, "You're not Rarity!" she accused good naturedly.

"She certainly isn't, darling." Rarity's posh, sophisticated voice drifted from where she sat working on a lime-green dress with her sewing machine, a familiar sight.

"Rarity!" Pinkie Pie greeted her friend, bouncing over. "I have a BIG favor to ask of you." she declared, emphasizing on the word "big"

Rarity slipped the glasses she used for work off to rub at her eyes tiredly, "Well, no promises; I already have more than I can barely handle."

Pinkie Pie bit her lip; she hadn't counted on the idea that Rarity might be already loaded down with work.

"Well..." Pinkie Pie hedged, not sure she should even bother asking now. "Uh…"

"Please, darling, I haven't got the time for such nonsense. What is it?" Rarity urged, working on the dress some more while she waited for Pinkie Pie's response.

"Well," Pinkie Pie coughed, "I was wondering if you could, maybe…make me a dress for the upcoming Square Dance Party Applejack is hosting?" Pinkie Pie finished in a rush, wincing as she braced for Rarity's reaction.

Rarity heaved a delicate sigh with a hint of exasperation in it. "Oh, darling, you really have caught me off guard here." She admitted, looking at Pinkie Pie apologetically.

"Oh. I understand…I'll just go…" Pinkie Pie said, her ears down in disappointment, and started her walk out of Ponyville's finest store. Now what she was going to do?

"Oh, please, Pinkie Pie, wait!" Rarity tried calling her over again. Pinkie Pie looked over her shoulder at Rarity, her bottom lip jutted out in a pout. "I never did say "No", did I?" Rarity pointed out, straightening her glasses and smiling tiredly.

Pinkie Pie's face split into a grin and she zoomed right back over to the glamorous unicorn. "You mean...?"

"Yes." Rarity confirmed, smiling on the outside though she was sure she would regret it all later. But she just couldn't bear to send a pony, especially one of her closest friends, away in need of a dress.

Pinkie Pie squealed, causing Rarity to flinch. "OH, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU SO MUCH, RARITY!" Pinkie Pie cried, wrapping the startled mare in a hug. Rarity smiled nervously and struggled to maintain her composed air of elegance, "Ah-of course, darling. You are one of my best friends, after all."

Pinkie Pie finally released Rarity from her death grip, who immediately sighed in relief.

"Ahem. So, I don't suppose you already have an idea as to what you-"

"Oh, yes!" Pinkie Pie interrupted, already knowing what Rarity was going to ask. "It has to be pinkie pink."

Rarity waited.

"And…?" she prompted when she realized Pinkie Pie wasn't going to offer anything more than that.

"Oh…well, I haven't given it much thought, actually!" Pinkie Pie looked to be really thinking on it now. "But it has to be perfectly PERFECT." Pinkie Pie decided.

Rarity sighed. Well, that certainly isn't much to go on.

"I'll do my best." Rarity told her, and then went right back to work on the other dress for another client.

"I sure hope so! I want to look pretty at the dance. No, beautiful. No, wait, breathtaking!" Pinkie Pie went on, oblivious to the fact Rarity wasn't paying her any attention.

_She'll get bored eventually_, Rarity reassured herself.

"And I know you already made me a dress but that was for a completely different occasion! This time, I want to actually impress somepony-"

Rarity had been struggling to tune out Pinkie Pie so she could focus on her work but immediately perked up when she heard this.

"My word!" Rarity exclaimed, looking up to gawk at Pinkie Pie. "Darling, are you implying that you have a date?" Rarity's eyes sparkled in interest, waiting on bated breath for Pinkie Pie's response.

"Well…yeah." Pinkie Pie confirmed hesitantly, her motor mouth finally grinding to a halt. _Uh oh-now what do I say? I hope she doesn't ask who-_

"Who?" Rarity wanted to know, her hooves clasped together to contain the joy she was feeling for her friend. She couldn't believe it. _Pinkie Pie on a date? How cute!_

"Uh…" Pinkie Pie looked like she'd rather be anywhere but there right now.

"Oh, Pinkie, I'm so happy for you!" Rarity said, smiling earnestly. "I shall see to your dress right away! And do not fret-I will make sure it is PERFECT for your date." Rarity assured Pinkie Pie, abandoning her work and rushing off to her collection of pink fabrics. She then proceeded to use her horn's magic to roll out the various bolts of pink fabrics and scan them all with a critical eye.

"Hmm…which pink do you like best, darling?" Rarity asked, looking over her shoulder to see the spot Pinkie Pie had been occupying empty now and the shop's door closing shut.

~Later That Night~

Pinkie Pie was one hundred percent positive she wasn't going to be getting any sleep tonight. Not after she had spilled the beans to Rarity.

_What if Rainbow Dash finds out?_ She worried, snuggling deeper into her bed.

_She'll be furious! …Unless._

_Unless I can fake a break-up. Yeah! I'll tell Rarity that my date turned out to be a big meanie grumpy mean-meanie-pants._

But then another voice inside of her cried out: _Are you CRAZY?_

Which was a weird thing for a voice inside your head to ask, even by Pinkie standards.

_Huh?_

_You must be crazy if you're seriously considering that dumb idea! Faking a break up? No, sir!_

_Sir?_

The voice in Pinkie's head continued without missing a beat, _What you have to do is tell your friends the truth. I mean, they're going to have to find out about you and Rainbow Dash sooner or later, right?_

_Welllll…_

_And besides, Rainbow Dash even said there wasn't a thing you could do or say that would upset her!_

_That's true._

_You can do it, Pinkie._

_Yeah._

_Tell them!_

_I will._

_You've got nothing to be ashamed of._

_I don't._

_You can do it!_

_I can!_

_Who's the boss?_

"Meeeee!" Pinkie Pie answered out loud without realizing it and quickly looked around, as if somebody might have snuck into her room uninvited and heard her outburst. Once reassured there were no intruders, she started to mentally devise to herself.

_I'm going to tell everypony about me and Rainbow Dash on Square Dance night._

Pinkie Pie smiled to herself; satisfied with her decision. And so, with her mind at ease, she finally succumbed to sleep.

~Dream Scene~

_Pinkie Pie found herself in a familiar situation; she was dangling from a cliff, barely holding on with her front hooves. As she kicked in an attempt to lift herself up, little rocks chipped off the side of the cliff to fall down the long drop to the bottom._

_Pinkie Pie was whimpering, "Somepony help me!" she cried desperately, almost losing her grip in doing so._

_An eternity passed._

_"Please…" she whispered. Pinkie Pie could feel herself losing this battle with gravity; while she much preferred to stay up, gravity demanded she get down._

_Pinkie Pie gathered the breath she needed to call out her friends' names "Twilight! Applejack! Rarity! Fluttershy!"_

_And then…_

_"RAINBOW DASH!" she hollered the loudest._

_As if on cue, Pinkie Pie could spot a patch in the sky that wasn't blanketed in eternal darkness. Was that-? It couldn't be!_

_But in Pinkie Pie's heart she knew it was. She would recognize that flash of rainbow anywhere. It could only be-_

_"Rainbow Dash!" Pinkie Pie called out happily, relieved. I'm saved! Oh, this is so romantic, now all Rainbow Dash has to-_

_"Rainbow Dash?" Pinkie Pie called out again, confused as to the reason why the pegasus pony was moving AWAY from where Pinkie Pie was hanging from._

_"Dashie! It's me, Pinkie!" Pinkie Pie called out louder, getting more desperate by the second. But it seemed her cries were falling on deaf ears…and she was starting to slip._

_"Rainbow Dash! Rainbow Dash! RAINBO-" And just like that, Pinkie Pie had finally used up all her energy and was falling, falling down to the ground where she would meet certain, cold death._

~End of Dream Scene~


	3. The Dilemma

**Chapter 3: The Dilemma**

~Early Morning~

Pinkie Pie awoke slowly and quietly, blinking to adjust her eyes to the light streaming in from her open window, likely the doing of Mrs. Cake. Pinkie Pie then realized she felt a cool, wet sensation on her cheeks and lifted a hoof up to her face, confused. She gasped when she felt the salty tears. She had been crying in her sleep? This was a first.

But…why?

Pinkie Pie fought to remember what her dream had been, but she was only getting little pieces that flashed through her mind before she could process them completely.

Just when Pinkie Pie had decided she didn't want to remember why, the pieces had already clicked together in her head. And fresh tears started to pool in her sky blue eyes.

"Rainbow Dash," she murmured, the silent tears trailing down her cold cheeks. "Why didn't you catch me?"

In that moment, Pinkie Pie wished now more than ever that Rainbow Dash was there to comfort her in this big, lonely bed.

~Later That Same Morning~

Rainbow Dash was, of all things, walking slowly down through Ponyville, ignoring everypony's attempts to converse with her. It was clear that she was not in the mood.

She had ditched her job as a Weather Patrol member and had slept in instead, even though she was expected to help make it rain today. For now, she was just thankful that her morning was so far Pinkie Pie free.

But she knew it wouldn't last.

Pinkie was a very demanding girlfriend, now that Rainbow Dash thought about it; always expecting to see her every day, always wanting to cuddle, always insisting they do things together, and then always complaining when Rainbow Dash failed to meet these obligations. That is why Rainbow Dash preferred to be surrounded by their other friends when they were together-that way the most she could do was glance at her a little longer than necessary and share secret smiles.

_Well, I've gone in far too deep to stop it now,_ Rainbow Dash thought bitterly.

Because no matter what, she couldn't forget that there was always that chance, that possible threat, that if Rainbow Dash were to break it off with Pinkie Pie, she would do something to herself; something horrible. Something…deadly.

Rainbow Dash shuddered; she still couldn't wrap her mind around how Pinkie Pie could go to such extremes. Then again, everything was extreme when it came to Pinkie Pie.

She sighed inwardly. _I really hope her crush on me blows over soon._

Then, while she was walking, she happened to catch something out of the corner of her eye. Rainbow Dash turned toward a piece of paper on the ground that had faded, dirty hoof prints all over it. Obviously, it had been out like this for some time. _Wait a second…_

Rainbow Dash squealed in delight, causing the ponies around her to cast her confused and concerned stares. But Rainbow Dash didn't care. Because this dirty piece of paper proclaimed in all capital letters and exclamation points that the famous Wonderbolts were coming-to Ponyville!

_Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh…_

Rainbow Dash was seeing stars-she couldn't believe it! They were coming to Ponyville. Of all places!

_I bet they heard that I lived here and wanted to see if it was true_, Rainbow Dash thought to herself smugly. Her dreams were crushed however when she read more on the event.

_IT'S NEXT WEEK? As in, next week on the day of the Square Dance Party? You have GOT to be pulling my tail._

Now Rainbow Dash was stumped. Either she went to the Square Dance Party to make Pinkie Pie happy, or she could go see the Wonderbolts and possibly be added to the squad this time.

In the end, it wasn't a very hard decision.

~At the Library~

Twilight Sparkle, also known as Celestia's most faithful student, had her lavender snout in a book when the front door flung open to reveal a sopping wet Rainbow Dash, which she inferred was due to the heavy rain pouring outside.

"Twilight!"

"Rainbow Dash?" Twilight could read the distress clearly on her face, "What's the problem?" Twilight carefully placed the book back on the shelf in its proper spot as she had been merely skimming through it to verify something in her studies. But now she was done with it, and it looked like Rainbow Dash required her undivided attention.

"I need some advice." Rainbow Dash stated simply, stamping her muddy hooves on the welcome mat and walking further inside; however the door closed shut behind her due to Twilight Sparkle's horn's magic rather than Rainbow Dash's decency to remember to close it.

"Okay, what kind of advice?" Twilight Sparkle asked, turning toward her friend fully.

Rainbow Dash's ears flapped down in embarrassment and she looked like she was harboring a dilemma inside, "Um…relationship…advice." She finally said, not looking up from the floor. _She better not laugh._

Twilight Sparkle arched a skeptical brow, "Relationship advice?" she repeated, just to make sure she'd heard her right.

"Uh…yes." Rainbow Dash answered, feeling blood rush into her cheeks.

"Well, uh, I'm not really well…educated in that department." Twilight Sparkle confessed rather awkwardly.

Rainbow Dash sighed._ Even the smartest pony in Ponyville can't help me._

"But, I will try my best." she said, still a little uneasy. Rainbow Dash perked up, "Awesome. So there's this pony…"

"Uh huh."

"And sh-they like me…in that way." Rainbow Dash hinted, not wanting to get into it. Twilight Sparkle nodded her understanding.

"And I don't see them that way. But this pony was threatening to-"

"Woah, woah, woah! Back up. Rainbow Dash, abusive relationships are NOT okay. You have to break it off with this pony, as soon as possible." Twilight Sparkle interjected, very much concerned for her friend now.

"You didn't let me finish!" Rainbow Dash pointed out, annoyed. "Anyway, this pony isn't threatening ME; they're threatening THEMSELVES."

Twilight Sparkle puzzled over this new information; _what could she mean by that..?_

A light bulb went off in Twilight Sparkle's head after some time thinking on it and she gasped out loud, staring at Rainbow Dash in shock.

"Oh Celestia! Rainbow Dash, who is it?" Twilight Sparkle clamored, leaving Rainbow Dash barely any time to think of what to say next.

"That's not important right-"

"It is _so_ important!"

"No! Just listen, okay? I-"

"Rainbow Dash, just tell me who it is! We have to help this pony; they are obviously very unstable and need to see a professional about their problems." Twilight Sparkle insisted, getting angry with Rainbow Dash for refusing to disclose who it was.

"I can't, Twilight. Please, just tell me what I should do and I'll take care of it myself." Rainbow Dash pleaded desperately, almost begging.

Twilight Sparkle looked on in confliction; should she let Rainbow Dash handle it alone or persuade her further in accepting her assistance in this imperatively dire situation? Then, after debating over it in her head, she finally closed her eyes and, letting Rainbow Dash know she had given in, said "Fine."

"Thank you." Rainbow Dash said, relieved and surprised at Twilight Sparkle's compliance and trust in her. "Anyway, the reason I am telling you this is because I have recently discovered some _awesome_ news."

"Which is…?" Twilight Sparkled urged her on.

"The Wonderbolts are coming!" Rainbow Dash trilled, smiling wide.

"What? No, they aren't."

"But I saw a flyer for it!" Rainbow Dash replied sharply, her wings automatically unfurling to make herself look bigger, almost as if she were threatening Twilight.

Twilight Sparkle shrinked back, "Uh-okay, they are. So...?"

"So! So, this means I have to go see them. I have to. But…," Rainbow Dash trailed off, sighing as her wings snapped back into place on her pale blue body. "the day the Wonderbolts come is also the day of the Square Dance Party. And my date wants to go to the Square Dance Party together or else who knows what they'll do?" Rainbow Dash finished ominously and looked to Twilight Sparkle for her answer to solve everything.

And Twilight Sparkle had seen the obvious solution, even though it apparently hadn't occurred to Rainbow Dash. But that solution wasn't what Rainbow Dash really needed. What she needed was a clean break with this mystery pony.

"Rainbow Dash…I don't know." Twilight Sparkle feigned cluelessness. "I really think you should consider letting them down easy. They're manipulating your emotions and that's not okay. Tell them the situation and they should understand." Twilight Sparkle implored her.

"You really think I should?" Rainbow Dash asked doubtfully.

"Yes. I really do." Twilight answered honestly, offering a small smile.

"Well…okay, Twilight." Rainbow Dash finally consented reluctantly; Twilight beamed at her. "I just hope you're right."

"Trust me; it's the best thing for the both of you." Twilight promised reassuringly.

~Sugarcube Corner~

Pinkie Pie was test tasting Mr. and Mrs. Cake's pastries; currently she was munching on some sugar cookies and then would work her way to the blueberry muffins.

At times like these when she was distraught over something, treats and snacks would help her boost back into her normal Pinkie Pie mindset. But, so far, it wasn't working.

Pinkie Pie couldn't get her mind off the upsetting dream she had last night, and then to make matters worse, she had cantered to the pegasus's house only to discover that Rainbow Dash wouldn't fly down no matter how many times she called her name or how loud she persisted on it. There was no answer.

Pinkie Pie had chalked it up to Rainbow Dash's usual laziness-but what if it meant more? She hadn't seen Rainbow ever since she had told her about the Square Dance Party. As much as she hated to even consider it, what if she was avoiding her? _Was I being too pushy on the Square Dance Party?_ She wondered to herself.

Pinkie Pie reflected on what Rainbow Dash might be feeling and thinking. She certainly wasn't jumping for joy when Pinkie Pie mentioned it to her-maybe the Square Dance Party wasn't a good idea, after all. And Rainbow Dash's well being was the first priority here. Besides, there will always be other parties.

Pinkie Pie sighed. If Rainbow Dash didn't want to go, then she wouldn't force her. She wanted her to be genuinely happy.

Now all she had to do was tell her.

~The Flight to Sugarcube Corner~

Rainbow Dash was haunted by so many thoughts racing through her head during her voyage through the moist air; _should I follow through? I don't want to lose Pinkie's friendship…I actually like hanging out with her…No, I can't wimp out. I have to do this-it's for the best._

All of this brain activity on the matter made the trip to Sugarcube Corner go by in a flash-it also helped that she was the fastest pegasus in Ponyville. Rainbow Dash even accidentally passed the gingerbread house but made a swift turn when she realized her mistake and settled to the muddy ground gracefully. She already had the speech in mind for what she was about to confess to Pinkie and strode to the door confidently.

She took in a breath and peeked through the heart shaped peephole on the door, in case Pinkie was in the main room.

She was.

"Hey, Pinkie," Rainbow Dash announced her arrival, letting herself in.

Pinkie Pie looked over her shoulder at her from the counter, giving a brief smile.

"Hiya, Dashie," she replied, crumbs of sugar cookies flinging from her mouth as she chewed and talked at the same time. She swallowed; then, turning away from the tray of sugar cookies she'd been testing the edibility of, she hopped right beside Rainbow Dash.

"Rainbo-" she started.

"Pinkie, we need to talk." Rainbow Dash interrupted tightly.

Pinkie Pie blinked at this. "Oh, okay, you can go first."

"Not here." Rainbow Dash decided, looking up the staircase. "Privately."

"Okie dokie lokie!" Pinkie Pie bounded to the staircase, hopping up the steps two at a time which caused Rainbow to grimace in concern for Pinkie. It was likely she might trip and break her neck. Then again, it was just as likely that her crazy, bouncy hair might break her fall.

"Hurry up, slow pokey!" Pinkie Pie giggled and grinned from the top of the staircase, reveling in the fact that she was able to stare down at the pegasus for once instead of the other way around.

Rainbow Dash observed how happy and carefree Pinkie Pie seemed; what she was about to do would change that though. And now she felt sick.

Rainbow Dash made her way up the stairs quietly and at a slow pace, reciting the speech in her head with every step she made. Pinkie Pie became a little bit concerned of the fact that Rainbow Dash was moving slower than Applejack's Granny Smith.

"Dashie, is something wrong?" Pinkie Pie asked, her eyebrows furrowing to illustrate her worry.

"No…I'm okay." Rainbow Dash muttered; four steps away from the next floor. Pinkie Pie didn't look convinced but just shrugged it off and went inside her room. Music in the form of synth backbeats could be heard omitting from it not five seconds after.

Rainbow Dash dragged herself inside the room, recognizing the music as she did. It was-

"It's the song I sang to you." Pinkie Pie said for her, gaining Rainbow Dash's attention so she could see her dancing all around the room, the music coming from a big, pink stereo. Just the instrumental was playing though-no singing this time, thank Celestia.

Pinkie Pie suddenly leaped over to Rainbow Dash, smiling madly. "Come on, Dashie! Show me your moves!" she giggled, throwing her forehooves around Rainbow in an attempt to make her spin and join her fun. Rainbow Dash resisted but that Pinkie Pie was strong for her size! Soon, she had spun Rainbow Dash like an out of control record player.

"Waaa-ahhh," Rainbow Dash stammered, getting dizzy. "Pinkie, I'm here to tell you something." She reminded her, after she had stopped her spinning.

"I know!" Pinkie Pie chirped, twirling all around her in a circle. "It's just you looked like you needed a laugh!" she took hold of Rainbow Dash's forehooves to bring her closer, let it slack, pull them back, let it slack, and then tugged them back toward herself again. Rainbow Dash was pretty sure they'd accidentally bump heads, causing a headache for the next hour or so.

"Pinkie!" Rainbow Dash complained.

"If you're happy and you know it, clop your hoovesies! If you're happy and you know it, clop your hoovesies! If you're happy and you know it, then your face will surely show it. If you're happy and you know it-"

"Pinkie Pie!" Rainbow Dash tried again, smothering a smile that threatened to take hold of her face. But because Pinkie Pie's smiles and laughter were contagious, it was hard; she was just so full of happy, bouncy energy that one couldn't help but be drawn to her and want to be part of the fun, too!

"Yessss?" Pinkie Pie drawled, smiling cutely. _Wait…cutely? Where did that come from?_ Rainbow Dash shook her head to rid of the thought.

"I didn't come here to play-"

"Oh, I know that, Dashie! If you had come here to play I would have already whipped out the silly string!" she cut in. "But, I'll save that for later." she added with a wink.

_Silly string?_

"So, what's been bugging you, hmm?" Pinkie Pie looked at Rainbow Dash expectantly.

Rainbow Dash could feel her heart beat quicken in anticipation. This was it.

"I…I…"

Rainbow Dash's grapple for words did not go unnoticed by Pinkie Pie.

"Try saying it really fast so you don't have to think about it." Pinkie Pie suggested, but only managed to disorientate Rainbow Dash's resolve to possibly break the pink party pony's heart.

"Pinkie, please, just stop talking." Rainbow Dash pleaded, closing her eyes as if it pained her to even have to look at the pony.

Pinkie Pie was silent.

And now, with her eyes closed shut, Rainbow Dash could get the words out easier. Because it was like Pinkie Pie wasn't even there and what she was about to say wasn't actually being said.

"Pinkie Pie, you've been an awesome girlfriend. The first I ever had. And these past three months have been fun." And it had. Once, they had gone to the zoo and Pinkie Pie threw a huge fit because she had wanted to see alligators, with teeth, but instead she was stuck with a turtle exhibit.

There was also that time last month when they'd had the chance to watch a horror movie showing at the trot-in theatre, which Rainbow Dash might have enjoyed more if she had been watching from a comfy cloud. Then again, she might have fallen asleep that way. Watching the big screen from the ground, however, Pinkie Pie made it impossible to snooze by screeching every five seconds, spewing popcorn everywhere, laughing at inappropiate moments, and clinging (read: choking) when a scene would get too intense for her.

Oh, and she couldn't forget the time they went to a bowling alley together where Pinkie Pie accidentally threw the bowling ball too hard in the wrong direction, causing quite a bit of destruction and scaring more than a few innocent bystanders. Needless to say, they were kicked out. Then there was that time they'd gone to an indoor skating rink and-wait, she was getting off topic, wasn't she?

"But…I don't think we can continue on like this anymore." Rainbow Dash rambled on before Pinkie Pie could get a word in, "It's not you, it's me. I'm just not ready to be as committed to a relationship as you are. I have other stuff I want to do, dreams to fulfill, and… and you're just gonna hold me back." All the words were awkward in Rainbow Dash's mouth; probably because most of the words weren't hers. She had, grudgingly, taken Twilight Sparkle's advice a step further by making her speech using a magazine she'd lent her. According to Twilight, it revealed a surefire way to end a relationship on a good note within its pages. Rainbow Dash, not being much of a reader, merely skimmed through it and picked what she thought was good. The real hard part was to remember all the gushy stuff to say.

Too bad Pinkie Pie saw right through it.

"Dashie, did you get that from some dating advice magazine?" she accused, eyes squinted in suspicion.

"No. I mean, uh, yeah." Rainbow Dash decided honesty was the best thing to use when a pony was looking at you the way Pinkie Pie was right now.

Pinkie Pie sighed, frowning now. "Well, if you're gonna break up with me, at least let it come from your heart."

"M-my heart?" Rainbow Dash echoed, automatically covering her chest with one hoof where her heart beat from underneath in alarm, as if Pinkie Pie was going to try and take it from her somehow.

Pinkie Pie gave a slight smile then grimaced, "Uh…yeah. Let it come from what you're feeling inside-not some silly filly magazine."

"Oh." Rainbow Dash said understandingly, embarrassed for thinking otherwise.

Pinkie Pie waited in silence, allowing Rainbow Dash time to think.

Rainbow Dash took in a deep breath and finally spoke her mind: "Pinkie Pie…I'm sorry. I'm sorry it took me so long to tell you this but…I don't like you… I mean, not in the way you want. And I need more time devoted to training in order to become a Wonderbolt."

Pinkie Pie nodded with now glistening eyes. "I was afraid you'd say that..."

"But don't you dare go and do something to hurt yourself-I won't let you." Rainbow Dash warned, her eyes narrowing in defiance.

Pinkie Pie cocked an eyebrow at this in confusion, "What?"

Rainbow Dash's harsh gaze didn't soften, "I mean it, Pinkie. I'll be watching you like a hawk."

Pinkie Pie rolled her eyes, "Have you been hanging out with Gilda again?"

"W-what? No." Rainbow Dash sputtered, disoriented as to why Pinkie Pie was taking everything she said so lightly.

"Well, I have noooo idea what you're talking about."

Rainbow Dash stamped her hoof in impatience, "You…" Now she was fighting back tears! What was wrong with her? "The night you asked me out…you…y-you were going to kill yourself!"

Pinkie Pie's eyes doubled in size and she stared, dumbfounded, as if this was news to her. "WHAT?"

Now Rainbow Dash knew her tears were out of anger, "You stupid pony! I saw you, you know! I saw you out on the balcony about to take your life, because you couldn't bear the rejection. Because you liked me and I didn't return your feelings."

Pinkie Pie's mouth formed an "o" in…surprise? Horror? Realization? Rainbow Dash couldn't read her expression well because of the tears blurring her vision.

"Rainbow Dash…" she heard her murmur softly, not sounding at all like the loud-mouth Pinkie Pie she knew.

Rainbow Dash wiped her tears away in frustration and could now see that Pinkie Pie was looking at her and smiling. _Smiling?_

"Oh, Dashie…" she said, still smiling and now shaking her head."What you said isn't true at all." she said matter of factly.

Rainbow Dash blinked.

"What do you mea-"

"I was never going to …do what you said." Pinkie Pie informed her, skipping around the word for it deliberately. "Not even you could drive me that loco."

Rainbow Dash took this all in and felt a subtle weight lift off her shoulders; she had always been hoping she'd jump to the wrong conclusion-that her mind had been playing tricks on her that night. And now she knew… Pinkie Pie was still Pinkie Pie! She was going to be alright.

Rainbow Dash's face broke into a watery smile, her tears changing to those of relief.

_Wow, I haven't done this much crying since I was a little filly._

"Pinkie Pie," she breathed and the two ponies hugged each other, happy they both held no more secrets from each other and that, as a result, their minds were finally at ease.

The earth pony and pegasus spent the rest of the day together inside Sugarcube Corner-baking cookies, enjoying each other's company, playing indoor games (one of them involving yarn balls & silly string), and laughing. Lots and lots of laughing.

Rainbow Dash had almost forgot that Pinkie Pie had ever wanted more from her-until it was time to go home...

"Those cookies were the best-and you're totally welcome to send any leftovers my way." Rainbow Dash said, winking as she patted her belly. Pinkie Pie blushed, though it was inconspicuous due to her coat's color, and smiled, "I'm glad you liked them."

"Mmm, guess I should start my flight home now." Rainbow Dash remarked, gazing outside the front door where the sunset painted the sky fiery orange and red. All of Ponyville was settling down for Luna's beautiful night; but until then, they had this precious moment between night and day.

"Yeah…um, Dashie?" Pinkie Pie was standing next to Rainbow Dash and she turned her head to look at her while she spoke, instead of the glorious view the world outside had to offer.

"Yeah?" Rainbow Dash replied without looking to see the conflicted expression on Pinkie Pie's face.

"I want to try something…before you go."

"Try what?" Rainbow Dash asked, still watching the sunset play colors on the roof tops of Ponyville. _Totally awesome._

Pinkie Pie didn't answer.

Rainbow Dash finally faced Pinkie Pie, confusion and concern etching into her face. "Pinkie-?"

_Mmmph!_

Rainbow Dash was startled into reticence when Pinkie Pie filled the gap between them to capture her lips in a passionate kiss.

Rainbow Dash's wings automatically reacted by flapping about wildly without her permission and she stared ahead wide eyed. Pinkie Pie didn't seem to notice though as her eyes were closed to enjoy the kiss properly. Meanwhile, Rainbow Dash just stood there, clueless of what to do. _How do you…what do I…this is…_

Just when Rainbow Dash thought of how to respond, Pinkie Pie broke the impetuous kiss.

"Uh...sorry." Pinkie Pie apologized breathlessly, blushing. And Rainbow Dash just continued to stare at nothing in particular with a blank expression.

"Uh…um…well…that was…unexpected." Rainbow Dash finally managed to say, still in shock both mentally and physically.

"Yeah…" Pinkie Pie agreed and laughed nervously.

An awkward silence stretched out between them.

"Oh, is that Gummy?" Pinkie Pie wondered out loud, referring to no noise Rainbow Dash could detect. "I better go check on him."

"…Okay." Rainbow Dash said dumbly.

Pinkie Pie scurried up the stairs and Rainbow Dash didn't see her again for a long time.

~Dream Scene~

_Pinkie Pie was clinging with all her might on the edge of a cliff, struggling to pull herself up. But she just couldn't do it. She wasn't strong enough…she needed help._

_"Somepony…help…" she panted, feeling the urge to let go overtake her whole body. No! She had to hold on! Just a little bit longer…just a little bit-_

_"Pinkie Pie?" said a voice out of the darkness._

_Pinkie Pie weakly lifted her head up in acknowledgement, letting herself hope that help had finally come._

_There up on top of the cliff, leaning down, was the answer to Pinkie Pie's prayers._

_"Rainbow Dash," she said softly, smiling as relieved tears made little rivulets down her face. "You came."_

_"Of course I came." Rainbow Dash chided, smiling down at the pink pony._

_"I'm so happy to see you, I th-"_

_Cutting her sentence short, an explosion of smoke and sparks lit up the velvet night sky. Pinkie Pie instinctively flinched, almost losing her grip. Meanwhile, Rainbow Dash had turned her back on Pinkie Pie to ogle up at the sky._

_"Oh my gosh! That could only be…the Wonderbolts! They're here!" Rainbow Dash squealed excitedly, completely forgetting the distressed pony barely hanging onto the cliff behind her._

_"Rain-"_

_"I have to go talk to them! This might be my chance!" Rainbow Dash realized aloud and then, Pinkie Pie's protests falling on deaf ears, she flew up into the air-on her way to see her number one role models._

_Pinkie Pie whimpered, slipping further and further-she'd never noticed what a muddy cliffside it was before! Her hooves kicked uselessly against the face of the cliff that would be the end of her. She kept struggling, struggling, and struggling until finally...she gave up._

_"Goodbye, Rainbow Dash." Pinkie Pie whispered, suddenly realizing with perfect clarity that she didn't care if she broke all her bones. Her heart was already broken. And so, she let herself drop through the cool, night air where she would disappear into the unknown._

~End of Dream Scene~


	4. Escalating

**Chapter 4: Escalating**

~Cloudsdale~

It had been precisely thirty-five hours since Rainbow Dash was subjected to the shock of her life. And, even now, curled up on a small cloud, she was still reeling from it.

After Pinkie had acted on her feelings for her, Rainbow Dash found out fairly quickly that she wouldn't be able to fly home. Even up in the air, her mind was frozen on that moment back at Sugarcube Corner and she'd nearly crashed into several houses because of it. So, she concluded that walking was the safest way.

And it was during her walk in the twilight that two very important things had dawned on her.

First, she esteemed she needed to spend some time in Cloudsdale to figure out what to do from there and perhaps practice her routine some more before the Wonderbolts arrived.

Second being that she had actually…liked the kiss.

_No._

She was just confused-she did not actually like Pinkie Pie…in that way. Surely everypony liked their first kiss to some extent; they wouldn't have any other to compare it to. This was all normal and she was just overreacting.

That is what she told herself, anyway.

~Carousel Boutique~

"FINISHED!"

The source of this outcry had erupted from a unicorn who looked quite exhausted. Her normally attentively styled hair was misplaced everywhere and her eyes bore bags under them. Her expression though didn't hold any despair of her appearance-she was too busy feeling quite pleased with herself.

"This dress is going to leave him floored." she gushed, clasping her hooves together in delight. "I simply cannot wait for Pinkie Pie to see it!"

While Rarity admired her work, she summoned her little sister Sweetie Belle to send her off to seek out Pinkie Pie.

"Maybe my special talent is finding ponies!" Sweetie Belle hoped wistfully which caused Rarity to roll her eyes. Sweetie Belle didn't notice this, however, since she was already out the door in her eagerness.

~The Search for Pinkie Pie~

Sweetie Belle had searched all over Ponyville; she had, of course, checked Sugarcube Corner first but Pinkie Pie was not present there and, apparently, Mr. and Mrs. Cake hadn't noticed her absence until Sweetie Bell dropped by to find her. They had suggested she check all her friend's houses, which she did. The library; no Pinkie Pie. Fluttershy's environmentally friendly cottage; no Pinkie Pie. Sweetie Bell didn't even bother to check Rainbow Dash's home because, according to the other pegasi in Ponyville, she was up in Cloudsdale on a temporary leave.

As of now, Sweetie Belle was cantering to Sweet Apple Acres; the last place she hadn't looked.

"Pinkie Pie!" she called out, hoping that she'd get an answer, but to no avail.

Even so, she continued on down the trial that led to the farm house; _maybe Apple Bloom can help me_, she thought.

She skidded to a halt, making a brief frown at the dirt that suddenly resided on her hooves, and called out again more confidently. "Apple Bloom!"

"Hey ya, Sweetie Belle!" answered a different voice than she'd been expecting; it had a southern twang but sounded more mature.

"Hi, Applejack." Sweetie Belle greeted the cowpony politely when she'd popped her head out behind the barn door. "Do you know where Apple Bloom is?"

"Ah'm afraid she ain't here, sugarcube. She went out wit Big Mac to help get more supplies for the Square Dance Party. Ya heard of it, right? Anyway, s' just meh an' Winona here." She gestured to the dog sitting beside her, who was panting to keep cool.

"Oh…" Sweetie Belle's ears drooped in disappointment.

Applejack, seeing this, was quick to offer her assistance. "Anything ah can do for ya?"

Sweetie Belle tilted her head up in inquiry, "Could you help me find Pinkie Pie?"

Applejack green eyes broadened in surprise and concern, "Wait a sec, Pinkie Pie is missin'?"

Sweetie Belle nodded, "I looked everywhere for her! Rarity wanted me to bring her down to Carousel Boutique to show her a dress."

"A dress?" Applejack muttered, more to herself than Sweetie Belle. "Well, ah can help ya round her up for shore!"

"Really? Thanks!" Sweetie Belle smiled appreciatively.

"Ah betcha Winona would like to help, too." Applejack added, looking down at the dog that was lolling its tongue out happily.

Sweetie Belle smiled uneasily at this, looking at the dog with fearful eyes.

"Uh, s-sure." she squeaked, hoping Applejack hadn't noticed her voice crack.

Applejack came out of the farm house fully with Winona following suit and shut the barn door with a swift kick from her hindleg. Sweetie Belle bit her lip nervously while Applejack went on past her, "Ready to go?"

"Uh huh."

"Then let's go! YEEHAW!" Applejack was already leading the way back down the dirt road to exit Sweet Apple Acres and Sweetie Belle trialed behind at a slower pace to avoid Winona.

~The Search for Pinkie Pie Cont.~

The trio had been seeking out Pinkie Pie for about ten minutes now; wandering along the edges of Ponyville where the Everfree Forest lurked nearby and occasionally calling out her name. It had been Sweetie Belle's idea that they search on the outskirts before heading back into the heart of Ponyville, where it was much more likely to find a party pony. But Applejack didn't try to persuade Sweetie Belle to reconsider and decided to humor her instead. Meanwhile, she tried numerous times to make small talk with Sweetie Bell but the filly was obviously not interested; and she kept giving Winona weird looks, like at any moment the dog would tear her to pieces if she didn't keep an eye on it.

Applejack tried to get a conversation rolling again, "Sooo…ah'm gettin' the sense ya don't like dogs."

Sweetie Belle did a double take, "Uh…oh…um…_noooo_."

Applejack smirked, "Yeah…don't even try lying to me."

Sweetie Belle sighed, "Well…it's just…Rarity told me about the… Diamond Dogs." she said 'Diamond Dogs' really ominously, as if she were telling a ghost story about them.

Applejack had been smoothly cruising on forward but suddenly stopped when she heard this, and then let loose a hearty laugh and continued onward again. "Did she also tell ya how she had them beggin' for us to take her back?"

Sweetie Belle paused midstep, "Wait…what?"

Applejack laughed again, "Guess she didn't."

"Well, what she did tell me was how uncivilized and cruel they behaved towards her." Sweetie Belle recalled, narrowing her eyes at the thought of her sister being held against her will by some ugly, big, mean dogs.

"They even called her a mule." her voice hitched up with indignation on the word 'mule'; her sister had almost seemed like she was bragging about the whole experience when she was retelling it to Sweetie Belle-like it was such a great accomplishment to have even survived the whole event. And Sweetie Belle had lapped it right up.

"Well, yeah, ah wouldn't consider them mighty friendly, either." Applejack consented, "But Winona ain't a Diamond Dog…ya know that, right?"

"Yes, but, I mean, really? What's the difference?" Sweetie Belle said, shrugging. _Any dog is a bad dog._

Applejack shook her head in belittling tolerance for the young filly, "Big difference. Trust me on this one."

But Sweetie Belle was not convinced; _why couldn't Applejack just let it go_?

Suddenly, a familiar pink pony stumbled out from the border of the woods they'd been walking along. And, of course, it was typical Pinkie Pie to pop up out of the blue in the least expected place.

Applejack and Sweetie Belle immediately rejoiced and attempted to call her over. But what they didn't notice was that Pinkie Pie was in a state of panic and frantically searching around the area for a place to hide safely. When she finally did hear her friends, her eyes widened even more, "YOU GUYS, RUN! IT'S A-"

Then, startling the ponies and dog, a yowl ripped through the air, ringing in their ears. Following that, a blurred form leaped out from the wood's shadows.

With no time to react, Pinkie Pie was easily pinned down by the unseen attacker from behind while Applejack and Sweetie Belle stared in shock; frozen in place as they were with absolute terror.

There, leaning down over Pinkie Pie's limp body, was a giant cougar with its menacing, sharp teeth bared in a growl.

"Woah Nelly!" Applejack exclaimed wide-eyed and Sweetie Bell began to whimper, catching the cougar's attention. It looked over at the other ponies and licked its lips, excited at the prospect of more victims.

But Applejack wasn't going to have it; she displayed her bravest face, squared her shoulders, and tucked her hat down lower to overshadow her narrowed eyes. _Hat's on._

"Get away from her!" she demanded, referring to Pinkie Pie who was currently knocked unconscious…or worse.

Winona backed her up with a fierce bark, her normally docile face pulled down into a snarl.

This seemed to merely amuse the cougar and it made a weird coughing sound; its equivalent of a laugh.

But that just made Applejack angrier and she hoofed the ground, ready to charge at the animal that was at least twice her size.

Then, _thank Celestia_, the puma backed away from Pinkie Pie…

...and made a lunge straight for Applejack and Sweetie Bell.

Sweetie Belle automatically opened her mouth to release a strident screech, causing Applejack to rear up on her hindlegs in dismayed surprise which, in turn, gifted the cougar those few precious seconds where it could get a hold of the orange pony without a fight. Applejack's backside connected with the ground in a blast of unrelenting force driven by the powerful cougar, her hat flew off, and Sweetie Bell uselessly continued her volleys of high-pitched screeches.

Applejack got a whiff of a musky scent on the mountain lion and nearly gagged, but chose to ignore it as she started to struggle hard against the ferocious feline, though she was unintentionally drawing her own blood with her efforts. The cougar smirked from its advantageous point; prolonging the pony's suffering before it would eventually kill it. And still the pony tried and tried...until the giant feline pounded the little pony's head against the ground, rendering it unconscious for the time being.

In other words, it was not looking good for the ponies…

But then, in a heroic act worthy of a Medal of Honor, Winona streaked over onto the cougar's crouched form, tearing into its fur with her canine teeth. Sweetie Bell gasped, taken aback by Winona's actions.

The cougar, however, did not appreciate the dog chomping down on its hide and twirled around to face the annoyance.

It tried to swipe at Winona with its giant paw and extended claws but Winona was too quick. She had already bounded out of harm's way, taunting the cougar with barks and yips.

The cougar's eyes flashed in anger, accepting the challenge, and rushed to meet the tiny, defenseless, herding dog. But Winona didn't turn away or flinch from the oncoming, enraged cougar; she just waited. When the cougar was close enough for cause of concern however, Winona finally turned tail and flew into the woods that enveloped her into darkness. The cougar didn't even pause in its pursuit.

Sweetie Belle gawked at what she had just witnessed; but there wasn't time for gawking. There were two ponies that were possibly seriously injured!

Sweetie Belle walked hesitantly up to Applejack, who was the closest, but was afraid of what she'd see. Her dead eyes staring up blankly at the sky? Her face covered in a mask of blood?

She gulped and peeked over the fringe of the curls in her mane to see the damage.

And cried with relief.

Applejack had endured the cougar's assault unscathed!

Truthfully though, there were a few bruises and bleeding scratches on her strong shoulders but that was nothing compared to the horrors that had been filling Sweetie Belle's mind.

"Applejack, wake up!" she gently shook the working pony, to which Applejack responded by blinking and squinting up at Sweetie Belle, as if the sun were glaring down at her. But the sky was, in fact, too cloudy for a sun to shine through.

"Wha-what happened?"

"That giant cat thing attacked you!" Sweetie Belle informed her hysterically.

Applejack's face contorted from brief confusion to anxious concern.

"Pinkie Pie? Is she okay?" she asked as she sat up, rubbing a hoof on her head to somehow ease the pain the bump on her head brought.

Sweetie Belle bit her lip, "I haven't checked yet…"

Green eyes wide, Applejack was up on her hooves in a sudden burst of energy, rushing to where Pinkie Pie laid. Sweetie Belle couldn't bring herself to follow and hanged back to hear Applejack's report on Pinkie Pie's condition.

It was silent for a while on the other end and Sweetie Belle finally found the nerve to ask:

"Is it bad?"

Applejack sighed. Was it a sigh of relief? A sigh of sorrow? Sweetie Belle couldn't tell.

"Applejack…?" she ventured, terrified of what she'd hear but also dying to know.

Applejack turned to Sweetie Belle with tearful eyes and Sweetie Belle's heart skipped a beat.

"S-she's okay," Applejack breathed out those beautiful words and Sweetie Belle's whole body shuddered in relief.

"Applejack, you scared me." Sweetie Belle whined as she walked over.

Applejack released a half-hearted laugh, "Sorry, sugarcube. But ah was scared, too, ya know."

The mare and filly then both proceeded to nudge Pinkie Pie awake until her sky blue eyes fluttered open.

"Applejack, Sweetie Belle…" Pinkie Pie stared up at them with a dazed smile, but it was erased when she took note of their worried expressions.

"Oh my gosh!"

"Yeah-" Applejack started.

"Applejack, where is your hat?" Pinkie Pie cut her off, wide-eyed at seeing her friend bareheaded.

Applejack blinked in surprise and then groped around her head where there was nothing but her blonde mane. Sweetie Belle giggled nervously, "It fell off..."

Since Pinkie Pie couldn't take Applejack seriously without her Stetson, she went back to get it and place it in its rightful place.

"Aight, Pinkie Pie. Do ya remember what happened?" Applejack asked intently, getting right down to business. At Applejack's request, the party obsessed pony thought back to the events of a mere five minutes before-but was coming up empty.

"The cougar must have hit ya harder than we thought." Applejack fretted, biting her lip.

And that's when Pinkie Pie remembered; she remembered the howl of a cougar before everything went dark. She also remembered crying over a sparkling stream but that was before it had spotted her and gave chase.

"Wait, I remember now! I was attacked." Pinkie Pie stated, her mouth so wide open that a bird could have made a nest in there.

"Yes." Applejack said relieved; she'd feared her friend had been suffering from amnesia. "So, ya okay, sugarcube?" Applejack asked, her brows still tightened down over her eyes in worry. Sweetie Belle bore the same expression.

Pinkie Pie scanned herself over with her eyes and hooves, feeling for a bruise or unfamiliar bump. Then she grinned up at them, "Mint condition!"

Applejack raised an eyebrow at this but then replaced it with a smile. "We were so worried for ya there."

"Yeah." Sweetie Belle admitted.

Pinkie Pie smiled and sprung up on her hooves again in one swift motion; something only Pinkie Pie could do after a traumatic encounter with a Felidae. Then, surprising Applejack and Sweetie Belle, she wrapped them all up into a tight hug. "Aww! I have such great friends." she gushed, then let them go. While they were brushing themselves off, Pinkie Pie finally realized something. "Wait a second-so where is that mean, old kitty cat, anyway?" Pinkie Pie asked, shifting her eyes back and forth suspiciously.

Applejack faltered, "Uh…ah dunno. What in the hay happened back there, Sweetie Belle?" she turned toward said filly, referring to when she was knocked down unconscious.

Sweetie Belle's eyes widened considerably, "Oh my gosh, Applejack! You should have seen it! Winona led it away, into the woods! It was the bravest thing I'd ever seen." she raved.

"Well, where is she now?" Applejack asked anxiously, looking around as if Winona might be hiding in a bush and would jump out any second. Sweetie Belle didn't pick up on Applejack's urgency though; thinking instead that Applejack hadn't heard her clearly.

"Your dog is a hero!" she exclaimed, expecting a positive reaction.

"Where is she, Sweetie Belle!" Applejack yelled desperately, leaving Sweetie Belle speechless for a while. Then she finally understood the reason for Applejack's concern…

"I-I don't know. She ran off into the woods…and…and it followed her."

Applejack looked devastated, "Oh no…"

"I'm sorry…" Sweetie Belle murmured.

"It ain't your fault, sugarcube." Applejack said, feeling awful for having yelled at her. "Ah just hope…she's okay."

"Of course she's okay!" Pinkie Pie laughed, pointing to the edge of the woods. "See?"

Applejack's and Sweetie Belle's heads snapped over to see, what in Equestria, Pinkie Pie was talking about.

And there Winona was, standing proudly and wagging her tail excitedly.

"WINONA!" Applejack and, surprisingly, Sweetie Belle called out. The collie bounded over eagerly at the sound of her name, tail whizzing behind her.

Once she'd reached them, Applejack hugged her while a hesitant Sweetie Belle hung back awkwardly. Pinkie Pie, uninvited, joined in the hug between pet and owner; not that they seemed to mind too much.

After a moment of hugging, Applejack patted the dog on the head.

"You're a good girl," Applejack said fondly, beaming at her canine companion.

Sweetie Belle coughed from behind, scoffing her hooves on the ground in uncertainty. Applejack, Winona, and Pinkie Pie turned around to Sweetie Belle expectantly. When Sweetie Belle realized all eyes were on her she made a small squeaking sound, very much reminding them of Fluttershy.

"Well…I just wanted to say…I was wrong about you, Winona…and...I'm sorry." she confessed, staring down at her hooves. But then she was knocked over by a ball of fur and was staring up at Winona's friendly face. Then Winona proceeded to lick Sweetie Belle, who burst out in high pitched giggles.

"It tickles!" she cried, causing Applejack to laugh.

"Oh, me next! Me next!" Pinkie Pie insisted, jumping up and down in her enthusiasm.

~What is This Feeling~

Rainbow Dash had decided to go out for a little winging since she'd been busy deliberating on the Pinkie Pie crisis the past hours. She couldn't spend too much time thinking about it-the Wonderbolts were coming soon and she intended to impress them with all she was worth.

And it felt good to have the wind rush through her mane, tail, and wings again, like old friends reunited. She was also very content to have gotten Pinkie Pie off her mind finally.

Twelve minutes into her flight however, Rainbow Dash started to notice something weird about the clouds; something very subtle but still there all the same. She just couldn't pinpoint exactly what it was…

As she observed all the clouds she zoomed past, they began to evolve more and more; contorting into unnatural shapes and sizes.

_What the hay…?_

Rainbow Dash assumed it was the storm starting up; but that wasn't scheduled until another three hours! Had she lost track of the time? It wouldn't be much of a surprise, really.

Then she finally realized what the clouds were morphing into:

They looked like they had the distinct outlines of…a...pony? And not just any pony…

_Pinkie Pie._

Rainbow Dash felt like screaming but all that came out was a choked gasp. She couldn't believe it-all of the clouds were transforming into imitations of Pinkie Pies! They even had her crazy hair replicated perfectly; right down to every curl and coil. The only differences being the clouds were white, not pink.

So, it was official; Pinkie Pie had invaded her subconscious.

Rainbow Dash cursed Pinkie Pie for all these feelings she had stirred up inside her. These strange and scary feelings she had never before experienced or felt. These feelings she did not want any part of.

Feeling she had no choice, Rainbow Dash drifted down onto the stable ground where she wouldn't have to see a Pinkie Pie cloud everywhere she turned.

And just when she thought she was safe…

"Rainbow Dash?"

_Please, no._

Rainbow Dash was contemplating on whether to pretend she hadn't heard Pinkie Pie & fly back up to the clouds, however formidable they were, or just get the confrontation over with.

"Oh, it _is_ Rainbow Dash!" said another voice which Rainbow Dash recognized as Applejack's.

Rainbow Dash couldn't avoid it now without looking like she'd completely blown them off so she turned to face them with a shaky smile.

"Hi guys…" she said, mainly focused on Applejack. She hadn't seen Pinkie Pie since the 'incident' and still wasn't sure where they stood.

"Well, howdy," Applejack replied, grinning. "Mind my askin' whatcha doin' on the ground? Your wings workin' alright?"

Rainbow Dash gave a nervous chuckle, "Yeah...they're fine. Uh...I just…bumped into a bird while I was up there." She looked up at the sky with her hoof cupped over her eyes, acting as if she were on the look-out for it. "I think it's gone now so I'll be on my way…"

"Rainbow Dash!"

Rainbow Dash winced as soon as she heard it; she knew it was one of those troublesome Cutie Mark Crusaders. She also knew she wouldn't have a quick get-away like she'd wanted.

Sweetie Belle ran with her stubby, little legs towards the group, Winona the collie trailing behind her.

"Oh my gosh, Rainbow Dash-you should have been there! It was so scary yet so cool!"

"What?" Rainbow Dash asked, the curiosity leaving her grounded.

Applejack exhaled tiredly, as if she'd heard this a million times already. "Pinkie Pie," she glanced at said pony sharply, "got herself into a sticky situation wit' a cougar."

Rainbow Dash's eyes widened in alarm. _A cougar? How big were those?_ She riveted her eyes on Pinkie Pie in concern. But, from what she could see, Pinkie Pie looked perfectly fine; if not a bit hostile, for whatever reason. She looked back over at Applejack.

"She looks-" then she noticed the bloody scrapes and bruises that adorned Applejack's shoulders. "Wait, what happened to_you_?"

Applejack shrugged in an attempt to make it seem like the whole ordeal was no big deal, but immediately regretted it as pain shot through her shoulders and grimaced, "Well, ah had to get the cougar away from Pinkie so ah taunted it over an' it pounced me."

Rainbow Dash stared at Applejack, shocked and impressed. Then something swirled in her stomach; another new feeling? It was a sensation that her whole body was on fire; was she flushed? _Why am I flushed?_

What she did know was that she did not like this feeling any better than the others-this feeling of heat that seemed to bubble beneath her skin and threatened to smother her. It almost felt like she was…angry …with Applejack; _for what? For saving Pinkie Pie's life?_ Her stomach clenched at the thought. Now she was really confused.

"And then Winona saved Applejack! Yay!" Sweetie Bell chimed in.

Applejack tossed Sweetie Belle an annoyed look but didn't say anything.

"And now, I'm not afraid of dogs anymore." Sweetie Belle added, beaming at Winona.

Applejack smiled upon hearing this, "Ah told ya she was nothing to be afraid of; ya can't operate on assumptions." she concluded satisfactorily.

Rainbow Dash had managed to tune the ponies out while she tried to puzzle out her state of ambivalence when she heard Pinkie Pie sigh impatiently.

"Can we go already?" she whined, annoyed.

"Go where?" Rainbow Dash asked before she could stop herself. She tried to convince herself she only asked so she would know where to avoid going today but she actually was curious as to where Pinkie Pie was in a hurry to get to.

"The Carousel Boutique; my sister finished her dress!" Sweetie Belle relayed to her before Pinkie Pie could even open her mouth in response.

"Oh…" _Wait, was she still going to the Square Dance Party?_

_Am I still going to the Square Dance Party?_

Before Rainbow Dash could answer her own thoughts, Pinkie Pie had swept past her; her pink, bushy tail accidentally brushing along Rainbow Dash's side, leaving a trial of shivers.

"Come on!" Pinkie Pie urged, glaring now.

_Woah, attitude much?_

"Okay, okay," Applejack complied, smiling apologetically at Rainbow Dash before she cantered on after Pinkie Pie with Sweetie Belle and Winona soon following suit, side by side.

Which left Rainbow Dash alone, just as she wanted.

Or was it?

~Strolling Through Ponyville~

Rainbow Dash weaved her way through Ponyvile, bypassing ponies and hoping she'd see a friend. But she made sure to steer clear of the side of the town with Carousel Boutique at the end of it; the last thing she needed was another run-in with She-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.

Then, when she was cruising by Clover's Café, a pony caught her eye.

_Oh, no…_

_It was Pinkie Pie.__ No, wait, it wasn't just Pinkie Pie._

She was sitting at the mushroom table with somepony else. But Rainbow Dash had no idea who it was. Rainbow Dash racked her brain to try and recognize the earth pony; she had a porcelain coat with a jagged mane & tail streaked with red & pink and stem-green eyes..._wait, is stem-green even a color? Maybe I'm thinking of forest green..._ Rainbow Dash also noted that her cutie mark was a plump, bright rose bud.

_Rose..?_

That must have been it. But what was Pinkie Pie doing, hanging out with her?

Rainbow Dash decided eavesdropping wasn't the worst idea she'd had so she spread her wings and flew to the top of the Clover's Restaurant, hunching down low to stay hidden.

"-be so much fun." Pinkie Pie finished, smiling brightly. Smiling brightly at Rose. Not her.

Rose beamed right back, "I can't wait to see your dress!"

Pinkie Pie nodded vehemently, "It looks really great so far; just needed a few Pinkie Pie finishing touches."

"I bet it looks beautiful on you," Rose speculated, still smiling earnestly.

Pinkie Pie then looked down so Rainbow Dash couldn't read her expression, "I'm so glad you're coming with me to the Square Dance Party."

Rainbow Dash felt her heart stop beating for a moment and suddenly found it very difficult to simply breathe. _Woah! What is wrong with me? Is this a heart attack? Do I need to go to the hospital?_

Rose's eyelids fluttered at half mast, still smiling so sickly sweet, like her smile was made out of a bee's tainted honey, "I wouldn't miss it for the world." She avowed.

The two earth ponies continued on conversing but Rainbow Dash was too busy panicking to keep listening in on them-she had heard enough.

_So…Pinkie Pie and I aren't going to the Square Dance Party together?_

Rainbow Dash wanted to feel relieved-she tried to feel relieved. But all she felt was…hurt…and not the physical sense of the word.

It especially hurt in her chest area, which was starting to scare her, and she seriously considered checking herself into the nearest hospital.

Then Pinkie Pie and Rose were done talking and got up from their table to go their separate ways. Before they did though, they both warmly embraced.

Now Rainbow Dash's hurt deepened into something else entirely. _It was that feeling from before!_ She felt flushed and resentful towards Rose. Why was she angry?

_Well, why shouldn't I be? It is completely understandable since Pinkie Pie FORGOT TO EVEN TELL ME SHE WAS GOING WITH SOMEPONY ELSE!_

Rainbow Dash realized she had to get out of there before she blew her cover and zipped back down to walk among the earth ponies and unicorns again.

~Fluttershy's Environmentally Friendly Cottage~

Rainbow Dash would have flown back up to Cloudsdale. She really would have, but…

She was spooked of what was up there, the images in the clouds. So she decided to visit her pegasus friend, Fluttershy, instead. After all, Fluttershy's cottage was far from civilization so there wouldn't be any chance of her seeing Pinkie Pie again.

Rainbow Dash was up at Fluttershy's door, which was camouflaged in the vines covering it, and was about to knock when she heard a soft giggle from somewhere behind her.

"Fluttershy?" she called out, turning around. There was no answer but Rainbow Dash was sure that giggle had belonged to Fluttershy so she wandered into the little wooded area. She finally found her in a small clearing, with a grey bunny held between her two front hooves. There was also a white bunny, Angel, off to the side. And he was not looking like a happy camper at the moment.

Fluttershy giggled again as the bunny's whiskers tickled her snout.

"Fluttershy?" Rainbow Dash tried again.

"Oh…" Fluttershy's face snapped back into reality and she finally acknowledged Rainbow Dash's presence. "Oh, hi Rainbow Dash."

"Hi…is that the bunny that was stealing Applejack's carrots?" Rainbow Dash inquired, cocking her head to the side as if she could tell the difference between this bunny and any other from a different angle.

"Oh…uh…no." Fluttershy peeped, blushing.

Angel glared at Fluttershy and apparently she could feel his stare on her because her gaze flitted over to him and she sighed in defeat.

"I mean…yes." she murmured, ashamed.

Rainbow Dash smiled, amused, "Let me guess; you gave it-"

"Him." Fluttershy interjected, blushing a more vibrant shade of pink as she did.

"You gave him a name?" Rainbow Dash repeated, faking curiosity. She knew Fluttershy had a bad tendency to give her animal patients names and inevitably develop an attachment with them in doing so, making it very difficult for her when the time came to releasing them back to the wild permanently.

"Oh, yes." Fluttershy's eyes lit up from underneath her mane, eager to share his story with the whole world; that is if Rainbow Dash was considered the whole world. "I've adopted him as Pepper." She smiled, proud of the 'clever' name she'd bestowed upon him.

"I thought he had a family?" To be honest, Rainbow Dash was only continuing this conversation out of pure boredom; she really didn't care about Fluttershy's pet bunnies, what their names were, or their families. No, what she cared about was getting that infuriating pink pony out of her mind's subconscious.

"Oh, well, he decided to live with me instead. I'm his family now." Fluttershy said, smiling gleefully.

"That's nice…" Rainbow Dash said absent-mindedly, averting her eyes anywhere but up in the air where the clouds would mock her with their Pinkie Pie smiles & tails.

"It did seem like a nice idea, at the time," Fluttershy continued on in her soft-spoken voice, looking down at Pepper in adoration. Then she sighed and glanced over at Angel again, who crossed his arms and fumed.

"But Angel refuses to make friends with Pepper." Fluttershy said gloomily, frowning. Rainbow Dash took a peep at Angel again, and finally recognized him glowering balefully at Pepper. And that one heated look explained it all. Angel did not like Pepper._But why? Shouldn't all bunnies supposed to get along?_

"Have you ever thought that maybe he doesn't like Pepper?" Rainbow Dash asked tentatively, hoping she didn't offend the sensitive pony.

"Oh, no, it's not that." Fluttershy informed her, her frown deepening. "He did like Pepper…at first. But then when I told him that Pepper would be staying with us, he got..." Fluttershy leaned in closer and whispered, as if she were sharing a highly classified secret, "jealous."

"Oh."

_Jealous._

_Jealousy._

_A feeling of insecurity, fear, envy, and anxiety all rolled into one word._

That was what she'd been feeling with Applejack-she'd felt jealous, in a way. She'd wanted to be the one to save Pinkie Pie; not Applejack.

And then it had happened again when she'd seen Pinkie Pie and Rose locked in a hug; wishing it was her and nopony else. She could see now that her and Angel's feelings were one and the same.

But, being the confident pony Rainbow Dash was, jealousy wasn't something that she was used to. She'd hardly ever felt jealous about something or somepony. She'd always been proud of who she was-she'd never wanted anything more. And, if she did, she usually got it.

And so Rainbow Dash understood now-something that had been growing more and more obvious though she was too afraid to admit it to herself. She really did like Pinkie Pie. Why else was she being so protective and possessive of her? Why else was she the only thing she could think of? Why else did she have these feelings for her? It had been staring her dead in the snout and now Rainbow Dash was ready to accept it. She was Rainbow Dash, after all. She could handle anything.

Why not love with a pink party pony?

The grey, desolate sky buzzed with the promise of a storm and Rainbow Dash lifted her head up, with one clear resolution in mind.

"I'm going to get her back."

~Cue Dramatic Music~


	5. Confident Confiding

**Chapter 5: Confident Confiding**

Even after Rainbow Dash's epiphany, she still had some things to take into consideration-like, how were their friends going to react? And how was she going to exactly win Pinkie Pie back?

Then another, more urgent, thought presented itself: What if Pinkie Pie didn't like her anymore?

It was heartbreaking to think about but worth the consideration. After all, Pinkie Pie hadn't acted towards her very kindly earlier and she had even already hooked up with somepony else!

Maybe Pinkie Pie didn't feel that spark when they kissed, which seemed impossible to her since it had been all she could think about the past few days. But maybe…maybe…

There were so many possibilities and all of them worried Rainbow Dash.

But then she remembered:

_I'm __Rainbow Dash__._

_Of course Pinkie Pie likes me! I mean, what's not to like? Once I tell her how I feel, she'll be so ecstatic she'll dump that Rosey Posey in ten seconds flat!_

With this pep talk to bolster her up again, she ditched her 'Thinking Cloud' and started flying vivaciously to Sugarcube Corner.

_I can't wait to see her face when I come flying in-she'll be so surprised; in a good way, of course._

Once Sugarcube Corner was in sight, she stopped just short of crashing through Pinkie Pie's closed window. She levitated in midair, peering in through the window.

Conveniently, Pinkie Pie could be seen inside, looking down at something in a crouched position.

Rainbow Dash thought she would just burst in but she couldn't seem to bring herself to do it now that she was actually there. So, she tapped the window in lieu to get Pinkie Pie's attention.

Attention granted, Pinkie Pie looked over in confusion. "Who…"

When she saw it was Rainbow Dash though, her expression immediately darkened and her voice came out again with a bite. "Oh."

Rainbow Dash indicated with her hooves to open the window and then crossed her forelegs in impatience when Pinkie Pie dragged herself over to oblige.

Pinkie Pie swung the window open with more force than was necessary, "What?" she snapped.

Rainbow Dash felt nervous sweat trickle down her forehead and she tried to hide the fact that she was nervous with a nervous laugh. But that only seemed to make things worse, if Pinkie Pie's irritated expression was any indication.

_How can she do this to me, without doing anything at all?_ Rainbow Dash wondered to herself, frustrated with her mouth's sudden inability to form words.

Pinkie Pie caught onto Rainbow Dash's distress and her expression and voice softened considerably, "Dashie, you okay?"

_"Dashie, you okay?"_

Suddenly, Pinkie Pie's voice was echoing in Rainbow Dash's head; am I okay? How do I answer that? Oh, why did she have to ask such a hard question!

When she started making unintelligible noises, a poor attempt at responding to an actually fairly simple question, she realized she couldn't do it. Not now. Not like this. Not with Pinkie Pie staring at her curiously with those piercing blue eyes…

She had to get out or she would _die_.

"Uh-um…err…bye!" she hightailed out of there, leaving a blinking and nonplussed Pinkie Pie behind at the window sill.

~Not too soon after~

_What was I thinking? How could I be such a featherbrain?_

Rainbow Dash was rebuking her actions as soon as she had fled the scene but she also knew it was the right thing to do. She had been disconcerted with how everything had unraveled so quickly. Obviously, she had greatly underestimated the extent of Pinkie Pie's power over her.

And she absolutely abhorred it.

_Nopony should ever have the influence to make me stutter. Nopony should compel my knees to go weak just by looking at me. Nopony should be granted the __right__ to engender these feelings inside me without my consent._

And then, just like that, a light bulb switched on over her head; figuratively speaking.

_Wait…it doesn't have to be this way. I don't have to confess to Pinkie Pie; I don't owe her anything. I should take these feelings and mold them into something else entirely._

Rainbow Dash, revived with the thought of losing her annoying, sentimental feelings for Pinkie Pie, strove forward through the air with eager wings, beating away at the air that threatened to drag her down. But she would not be grounded. Not by Pinkie Pie; not by anypony. She was flying _solo_.

But she knew her idea wasn't going to be easy to execute. But she would have done it eventually; and then these feelings wouldn't be a problem.

~Hours Following~

"Ah thank ya kindly again for helpin', Rainbow Dash." Applejack said, loaded down with two baskets situated on the sides of her back. Together, she and Rainbow Dash were carrying bushels of the most ripe and juicy apples to the farmhouse for the Square Dance Party. At first, Rainbow Dash was surprised to see Applejack back to work so soon after her encounter with the cougar, but the farmpony had said she'd already gone to the hospital to check for a concussion, to which she'd tested negative, and the minor injuries she had obtained were merely sore now.

Besides, there was no way she was going to let herself get behind on her chores.

"Usually, Twi would be helpin' meh wit' it but she's been busy tryin' to organize the whole shindig."

"Right," Rainbow Dash was out of breath, but she wasn't about to let Applejack know this. They had been at it for hours now and she really would have preferred flying, instead of walking, with the baskets but Applejack logically concluded that the apples would fall out. So now Rainbow Dash wanted nothing more than to fluff up a cloud and take a nap. Besides, she thought Applejack must have been winded by now, too.

They had finally made it to the farmhouse and finished dropping off the apples in the now empty baskets.

"Whew," Rainbow Dash sighed in unrestrained relief.

"Aight, let's go an' get more," Applejack announced, already on her way back to the orchards.

Rainbow Dash felt she would faint with exhaustion, "Aw," she coughed "don't you think sixteen baskets is enough?"

Applejack stopped and turned, "We're talkin' 'bout a big party, Rainbow."

Rainbow Dash sighed again, "But I'm tired." she whined.

Applejack chuckled, "Ya can take a break if ya want. Ah was surprised ya even offered to help in the first place." Without looking back, she continued on her way to get more apples.

It was true; Rainbow Dash wouldn't usually be helping Applejack importing apples to and fro but she figured she might as well. She had nothing else to do and she didn't want to be alone with her thoughts.

Rainbow Dash started scouring the sky for a cloud to nap on when she suddenly realized she had an opportunity to ask Applejack for advice. She had to start somewhere, right?

_Why didn't I think of asking her earlier?_

"Hey, AJ!" Rainbow Dash called, galloping to catch up with her again. "Wait up!"

Applejack, in all her southern civility, turned to stop and wait for Rainbow Dash when she had heard her.

"Change ya mind?" Applejack asked, surprised Rainbow Dash hadn't already taken off.

"Actually, I need some advice," Rainbow Dash explained and they both started walking calmly side by side again, as should every occasion of walk-and-talk carry out.

"Aight," Applejack said, letting her know she was all ears.

Rainbow Dash then tried to think of a way to phrase the question but it all came out weird in her head. Then again, the question itself was weird.

"How do you…" she bit her lip in uncertainty, having second thoughts.

_Maybe Applejack isn't the pony to ask for this kind of advice…_

Said pony was still waiting for her to complete the question, "Uh…?" she prompted when she realized Rainbow Dash wasn't saying anything.

_Well, too late now._

"Uh…do you have any…suggestions on…" she trailed off, her gaze still absent-mindedly searching for clouds. Thankfully, the clouds were normal again and didn't resemble Pinkie Pie in any way. She guessed it was because she had finally admitted to herself that she liked her or some poetic symbolic thing like that.

"Rainbow? Ya there?" Applejack wondered, waving a hoof back and forth in front of her face.

"Oh." Rainbow Dash blinked at the sensation of being fanned. "Yeah, sorry."

"Well?" Applejack was quick to get back to the point.

Feeling she would lose the nerve if she thought about it for too long, Rainbow Dash finally managed to ask it, "How do you ….how do you force yourself to hate somepony…somepony you really, really like?" she whispered.

Applejack looked over at Rainbow Dash in shock. "Rainbow…" she started, but then she saw her face.

She was serious.

Applejack sighed, _ho boy._

"Rainbow, ah don't figure ya can hate a pony ya like." she spoke earnestly, trying to catch Rainbow Dash's eyes but the pegasus avoided her probing gaze. Applejack continued, "It just don't work that way..an'..an' who do ya like anyway?" she asked with a burning curiously. Applejack had never would have guessed Rainbow Dash would actually, sincerely, like another pony; that is, not in that way. She was tough as nails, and to like somepony you had to show tenderness and vulnerability.

None of which Applejack associated with Rainbow Dash.

Rainbow Dash sighed miserably, "I can't tell you."

"Aww, Rainbow. Ya can trust me; ah ain't gonna laugh, ah promise." Applejack persisted gently, offering her support by firmly resting a hoof on her shoulder. Both ponies stopped their gait.

Rainbow Dash stared at Applejack's extended hoof that was supposed to comfort her. But, really, it just made her think about what would happen if she told her the truth. Would she drop her hoof back in disgust? Would she simply tell her to never bring it up again?

Would they even still be friends?

Rainbow Dash closed her eyes to block out Applejack's anxious face.

Which turned out to be a bad decision on her part because now she kept picturing all the worse scenarios' in her head.

But, it eventually came to the fact that she needed to tell somepony; she couldn't keep it bottled up anymore.

She opened them again, having come to a decision. "You won't…think of me any less?" she asked quietly, observing a green caterpillar unhurriedly crawling to the other side of the dirt road.

"Of course not; liking somepony is a good thing, Rainbow Dash. It can even develop into love, if ya let it." Rainbow Dash subtly flinched at the word "love", not that Applejack noticed.

"It ain't nuttin' to be ashamed of." Applejack finished assuredly but Rainbow Dash shrugged her off, resuming their walk again.

"But, Applejack, I don't want these feelings." Rainbow Dash remonstrated, her ears drooping, "I hate them; they make me feel so out of control. And I don't think the pony I like, likes me back anymore."

"Maybe if ya told me who it was ya fancy, ah could be of more help." Applejack suggested slyly.

Rainbow Dash still wasn't sure…it was bad enough she had told the cowpony she was crushing on somepony…now she had to tell her who it was, too? She was especially concerned because the pony she liked happened to be one of their mutual best friends.

_But Applejack would never tell anypony; we've been good friends for a long time now. She isn't judgmental and would understand more than anypony else._

Rainbow Dash scrutinized Applejack's freckled, hopeful face and stared into her warm, eager eyes.

_She wants to understand and she wants to help._

Rainbow Dash gave in with a defeated sigh, "Fine…it's...Pinkie Pie." She muttered, feeling her whole face heat up in the process.

"What's that? Ah can't hear ya." Applejack fussed, leaning closer. "Speak up, sugarcube."

Rainbow Dash sighed through her dropping orange forelock again, "I said…Pinkie. Pie."

When she heard the words out loud though, _why did it sound so loud_, she wished fervently she could stuff them back into secrecy.

Because she realized, for the first time, how ridiculous it all sounded. Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie. Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash.

She didn't look over to see Applejack's reaction. She just kept walking.

A competitive pegasus with a dream that warranted control and a hyperactive earth pony with a party addiction that had no control. Where did that all come together?

Soon, she figured out that Applejack had stopped walking; she couldn't hear her accompanied hoofsteps anymore.

And still Rainbow Dash kept walking.

_Thanks for the support, Applejack. So, tell me, is it still "nuttin' to be ashamed of"?_

Rainbow Dash laughed bitterly to herself and eyed a decaying log up ahead, mentally declaring it as her launch pad.

And now she was running.

She was running and she could feel the confounded, stupid tears leaping from her eyes and flying through the wind. And she left those tears behind. She hoped she would leave them all behind.

She pushed herself so fast she almost slipped and, when she was a split second from passing the log, she diffused her wings and let them catch the wind. Then she soared.

And she hoped she never would have to leave the sky again.

.

"Rainbow Dash! Come back!" Applejack hollered again, straining her neck to catch a glimpse of the pegasus. But she had already disappeared among the clouds.

"Awwhh no…ah shoulda said something sooner." The cowpony said to herself with contrite, stamping her hoof in frustration.

"Ah gotta find her." She told herself and started pumping her legs forward again with renewed purpose.

~Elsewhere~

Pinkie Pie was in the woods again.

She knew it was a poor choice on her part-she knew the risk. But she didn't care. Not at this point. She was beyond caring.

And right now she was singing softly to herself for her own amusement and comfort; or maybe she was just torturing herself by singing a melody that had lost its charm.

"If I had you, life would be a party it'd be ecstasy," she murmured forlornly, her steps slow and deliberate-an enormous contrast to her signature hop and skip. "Yeah, if I had you," she continued with her gaze downcast. "Then money, fame, and fortune never could compete."

She suddenly came to a standstill and sighed, "If I had you…" she whispered one last time again, somber.

She stood there for some time, feeling sorry for herself and aching inside.

_Why did I have to-?_

And then her tail started twitching erratically, startling her from her reverie. She gasped when she felt the tremors judder her whole body and turned to her tail accusingly, glaring at it. "Twitchy twitcha twitcha twitch." she observed and then looked up where she expected something to fall from the sky, wishing she had her rainbow umbrella hat to protect her head. Or any umbrella hat, for that matter. The colors, rainbow, had nothing to do with it.

_Sigh._

But, contrary to her tail's prophecy, nothing dropped from the sky. She didn't hear a crash of tree limps, cracking and breaking under the weight of a falling object, either. It was safe.

But Pinkie wasn't going to take any chances, of course. So, she sought out a rock sufficient to hide under.

And that was when she heard a low growl.

Pinkie Pie reacted by jerking up as soon as the sound had reached her ears and then proceeded to check her mental files for what the sound could have been.

When she finally recognized and registered what it was though, she almost laughed out loud. She almost exploded into a fit of giggles, actually. Because it was so funny; she had tempted fate one time too many and now the same cougar from before would finally kill her for it. But she held it in, whether because her instinct told it would provoke the animal or she simply had lost the heart to laugh.

The low growl was followed by the sound of crunching leafs and twigs snapping.

_Heh, the Element of Laughter…losing the heart to laugh, heh._

The growl came out again but this time it was more drawn-out; as if it was trying to give her a head start by warning her of its presence. As if she wasn't already aware there was a cougar behind, waiting to pounce her.

And then she could hear it creeping closer, ever so slowly and carefully.

Pinkie Pie gulped but she still stood her ground stubbornly. She wouldn't even turn around and face it.

Then the cougar finally seemed to realize she wasn't going anywhere; that this pony would not put up a fight or run.

But it knew the chase was always the best part of a kill. The sound of a heart rapidly beating in suspense, and the smell of desperate fear in the exhausted & nervous perspiration; it always was the best part.

_Perhaps this pony only needed a little… 'encouragement'._

The mountain lion yowled as loud as it could, a yard behind the pink pony with the crazed mane & tail.

And afterwards, just as it expected, the pink pony bolted into a full blown canter.

And the cougar eagerly preceded the game of follow the leader.

~Applejack~

Applejack had been searching for the runaway pegasus for thirty minutes now and was still coming up empty. Meanwhile, inside she was drowning in her own guilt.

With every chance in between her searches, she would remind herself that it was her fault. Rainbow Dash had needed a friend and came to her for advice-out of all the other ponies. And she had reacted badly.

And now she beat herself up for it and suffered through the worst onslaught of compunction she'd ever felt.

_Aw, Rainbow…please come back. Please._

Suddenly, a high pitched shriek attacked her ears and caused her to halt in place.

_Who…? Was that Rainbow-no. Rainbow Dash doesn't scream like that. It sounded more like…_

"Pinkie Pie," Applejack said aloud, recognizing the scream from this year's past Nightmare Night. _That darn pony's gone an' gotten herself in trouble again._

Applejack sighed; frustrated she wouldn't be able to look for Rainbow Dash anymore but also worried for her friend. _What have ya done now, Pinkie?_

She started off into the direction she heard the shriek from and hoped it wasn't anything serious to be concerned about.

~Pinkie Pie~

Pinkie Pie was just recovering from her fall from the cliff.

She had been running from the cougar, having come to the conclusion she didn't want to die, and praying fervently to Celestia that she might run into Fluttershy. She would have known what to do... But still the cougar had followed close behind. And, looking back on it, she realized the cougar had just been playing with her. It knew it had the advantage, it knew it was faster and stronger. But, to make the hunt more fun, it chased her at a pace that wouldn't surpass her own.

Still, she had run as hard and fast as her legs would allow and eventually trekking up hillocks, her usual happy energy and speed useless in such a drastic and dire situation.

But, no matter how hard or fast she pushed herself, she could still hear the puma pursuing her, never far behind.

Just when Pinkie Pie was on the brink of surrender, she found herself at a precipice. Just like her dream; only this time there was a cougar on the prowl and it wasn't night time.

She had gazed down the cliff's face to see what awaited her below and gulped; it was a loooong fall down and the big, pointy rocks at the bottom hadn't looked very welcoming.

When the cougar had finally located her, she knew the fun was over. It was going to kill her this time.

As the massive animal stalked forward to end her, she had started to instinctively back up. And then she remembered too late that she was at a cliff. And she stumbled…slipped… and fell.

The cougar had leaped forward, attempting to swipe her before its dinner had fallen to her death. But fall she did; just as her twitching tail had predicted.

Pinkie Pie had let loose a shriek she didn't know she was capable of vocalizing as she fell and…hit a solid surface.

So, now she was on a ledge with a width that, thankfully, accommodated for her own and was protruding ten hooves below the cliff's edge from where she'd fallen.

She was grateful she had survived with minor scrapes and cuts. She was grateful the cougar had finally left with one last scornful look. But the situation wasn't any better, really. She was an earth pony stuck, with no way to get back up to the upper level ground where Ponyville lie.

She had started, as anypony would do, to call out for help in the hopes a pegasus was nearby and would hear her.

She also hoped that, if any help came, it wouldn't be Rainbow Dash.

~Applejack~

Applejack was beginning to feel she had made a mistake.

_Maybe it wasn't Pinkie Pie ah heard…_

She had gone in the general direction she had heard the outcry from but she didn't get far; there were too many possibilities of where it could have come from.

She knew she hadn't heard it from Sugarcube Corner or anywhere in the center of town, really. It actually sounded like it had originated from Sweet Apple Acres-but that wasn't right. She would have known if Pinkie Pie was there-unless she had just come to visit since she had left to go look for Rainbow Dash.

Point is it wasn't a lot to go on.

But then she heard it again, only this time Applejack could make out words.

"Somepony help me!" was the distant shout she heard, carried on by a breeze.

And it was definitely Pinkie Pie's voice.

"Ah'ma comin', Pinkie Pie!" Applejack automatically yelled back assuredly, even if she didn't know if Pinkie Pie could hear her from so far away, especially since she was upwind.

And despite the strong wind, Applejack stayed true to her word, starting a steady gallop back to Sweet Apple Acres where she had mentally pinpointed as the area where Pinkie Pie's pleas for help emitted from.

"Ah'ma comin'," she repeated softly, just to remind herself of the reality of what she was about to do; placing her life in possible danger to save Pinkie Pie… again.

~Pinkie Pie~

Pinkie Pie had been calling out for succor so long now that her normally reliable vocal cords were starting to fail on her. She blamed the wicked wind that threatened to push her off the ledge. It was putting her on edge, literally.

"Oh, please, somepony…" she murmured hopelessly, curling in on herself for warmth. Not only was the wind powerfully fierce, it was freezing cold.

_I don't remember my dream being so chilly willy…_

Soon enough, her body forced herself to shiver to keep warm; Pinkie Pie had almost mistaken it for another of her Pinkie senses acting up.

"I'm so cold, I'm shivering…" she acknowledged aloud to herself, squeezing her forelegs against herself as tightly as a strait jacket. Even her already mussed up mane shivered in the wind, flopping unevenly to one side of her face.

She didn't even bother pushing it out of her eyes, she just let it settle there while she tried to think of a way to get out of this situation, minus anypony else's help.

_Arggghh….all I wanna do is sleep…_

Pinkie Pie tried to get comfortable on the cool slab of rock so that she could take a short nap when she heard a familiar voice speak out:

"Pinkie Pie? Pinkie Pie, where are ya?"

"Ap-Applejack! I'm here!" she cried out in relief, already scrabbling up from her laid back position. "Down here!"

"Pinkie?" she could hear Applejack's voice coming closer, "Pinkie Pi-oh." And there appeared Applejack's head, leaning down over the edge of the cliff to stare at the earth pony in confusion and then mellow exasperation. "Aw, Pinkie Pie…"

Pinkie Pie smiled sheepishly up at the cowpony, "You see what had happened was…"

"Hold on, Pinkie Pie! Ah'll be right back wit' meh rope." Applejack interrupted, and then she was gone from sight.

"No! Applejack, come back!" Pinkie Pie protested, and then she sat back down to pout when she realized she wasn't going to come back. "Don't leave me alone…"

If possible, the wind got worse, swirling in big eddies around her, and Pinkie Pie's exposed pink skin erupted into more shivers. And then goosebumps. "Bumpity bump bumps," she gasped, and rubbed madly at them with her hooves, to somehow make them disappear. She hated when she got gooseflesh.

Disgruntled, she clung to the side of the cliff as close as physically possible, ignoring the sharp contours biting into her cold skin. In her desperate situation, she was basically asking a rock to show mercy and somehow radiate heat to keep her warm and goosebump-free.

And then, with no progress in her favor, she began to whimper tearfully.

~Rainbow Dash~

It had been a while of flying through the air, dancing with the wind and teasing clouds as she had zipped past them, and finally Rainbow Dash was sure she had eluded her tears. In fact, she had even managed to forget about the whole ordeal that had gotten her so upset. So, she decided to give her fatigued wings a well-deserved rest and settled down on a plump cloud.

She sighed contently as she snuggled into it, desensitized by the wind tugging playfully at her loose feathers.

It couldn't have reached the five minute mark into her snooze when Rainbow Dash's ears picked up the sound of …weeping? One of her roseate colored eyes fluttered open but all she saw was the endless expanse of sky. But still…her ears would not let her sleep; they were trying to alert her to a disturbance…down below.

Rainbow Dash huffed in annoyance and reluctantly got up on her legs. She shook herself off a little and then craned her neck to investigate what was down below to hopefully discover the source of the weeping.

And then she felt her jaw drop.

_Pinkie Pie…what is she doing out here?_

She studied the pink pony that was huddled up on a ledge and waited before confirming to herself that it was, indeed, Pinkie Pie who had been making the noise.

_Is she…crying?_

Rainbow Dash felt something inside of her being pulled towards Pinkie Pie and instantly the phrase "tug at your heartstrings" came to mind.

_Greaaat, the pony I'm supposed to hate needs rescuing and all I can think about is how cute she looks._

This was a perfect example of why Rainbow Dash was starting to wish she didn't have feelings at all; they were too bothersome to try and understand. Life would be much easier if she could just flip the off switch on them and live as a stoic for the rest of her life.

And yet...

Rainbow Dash sighed in bitter defeat and abandoned her comfy cloud to fly down atop the cliff. She had a little difficulty angling herself correctly however, since the wind couldn't seem to make up its mind on where exactly it wanted to shove her.

Once she had finally overcome one of Mother Nature's most overwhelming elements, she stared below at Pinkie Pie again. The pink mass trembling in the breeze was still oblivious to her presence so Rainbow Dash used the time to try and come up with a cool entrance.

But all she could think of was: _I got to get her out of here right now before she catches a cold._

Rainbow Dash finally resigned to simply swooping down and making sure her landing was loud enough to wake Pinkie Pie from her stupor.

Pinkie Pie turned her head away from the cliff she had been embracing and stared at the pegasus that had suddenly appeared before her. Meanwhile, Rainbow Dash tried not to gawk at how beat up Pinkie Pie looked and..._was that a bruise?_

"Uh, hi," Rainbow Dash finally greeted her lamely.

It wasn't like she had been expecting Pinkie Pie to run over and hug her lovingly. No… but she at least expected somewhat of a relieved smile…maybe? A small rejoice?

Instead, Pinkie Pie stood up and said monotonously, "Hi, Rainbow Dash," and had worked up the nerve to glare daggers at her.

_Then again_, Rainbow Dash thought, _maybe this would make it easier to hate her._

They stared at each other in silence and Rainbow Dash waited for her brain to come up with something to say.

But Pinkie Pie was the one to shatter the silence, "So, what are you doing here, Rainbow Dash?" she practically spat out Rainbow Dash's name, as if it were poison.

"Uh, here to rescue you? Duh." Rainbow Dash answered with outstretched wings in emphasis, chuckling tightly.

"Oh, but that won't be necessary, but thanks for your concern. Bye-bye now." Pinkie Pie replied coolly, waving a hoof in mock farewell.

Rainbow Dash blew out an exasperated breath, put off with Pinkie Pie's attitude.

"Yeah? And just why would it not be necessary? I don't see Twilight's hot air balloon anywhere."

"Because I don't need you-_Applejack_ found me here first and she'll be back soon to rescue me." Pinkie Pie said matter-of-factly and then suggested pointedly, "Why don't you go off and practice your Wonderbolt routine."

Rainbow Dash felt her eyes unconsciously narrow down and her whole body quake with a heat wave of anger, which had overpowered the small part of her that was hurt at Pinkie Pie's words.

She would not let Applejack be the knight in shining armor. Not again.

"Pinkie Pie, don't be ridiculous. Just let me help you." Rainbow Dash argued, reaching out a hoof for Pinkie Pie to take, whether she wanted it or not.

Pinkie Pie practically turned her snout up at Rainbow Dash's hoof, as if it were contaminated. "No." she refused, her stubbornness shining through.

In response, Rainbow Dash's blazing eyes narrowed even further. "If I have to drag you to safety, Pinkie Pie, I will." Rainbow Dash threatened, leaning close.

"Ugh, why won't you just leave me alone?" Pinkie Pie suddenly shouted, in unison with a frigid, skirling gust of wind that battered Rainbow Dash back to the rim of the ledge and sent her mane & tail flying in all directions. Rainbow Dash stared in shock and spooked awe, as if Pinkie Pie herself had summoned the air currents to attack her.

_Why is she being like this? Why did she even kiss me if she hates me so much? What do I have to do to-_

And, just like that, she knew what to do.

Rainbow Dash took a breath and mentally prepared herself for what she was about to confess. "Because I-" And then, of course, she was cut off from a sudden, ear-splitting snap and instantly the whole world seemed to shake, as if it was experiencing its own episode of Pinkie Sense.

Pinkie Pie gasped in astonishment and Rainbow Dash had, on an impulse, flown out into the secure air, just as a dead tree crashed down from above.

The wind-scourged tree trunk stretched out across from the cliff to the other side of the gap and made a rotting bridge, saving itself from a devastating plummet down to the river & menacing rocks below.

But Pinkie Pie had no use for the bridge, not now that she was stranded on a ledge ten hooves below.

A ledge that suddenly gave in…

Pinkie Pie screamed as the ground beneath her hooves disappeared and she descended down, flailing her hooves wildly as she did.

Rainbow Dash didn't even have to think on how to react-she immediately dived down to save Pinkie Pie. _Her_ Pinkie Pie.

The wind whistled jarringly through her prismatic mane and she reached out her hooves toward the ever looming pink pony screaming their head off. Rainbow Dash would have already caught her by now except she was being cautious to dodge the thrashing limps that might accidentally knock her out, which she knew to be quite liable to happen-even for a Wonderbolt.

Her tongue found its way out of her mouth in her concentration and then her adrenaline-powered brain realized a simple solution.

Rainbow Dash was quick to put her plan to action and sped past the falling pony, not giving thought to what the airborne Pinkie Pie might be thinking of this.

Once Rainbow Dash had surpassed Pinkie Pie, she immediately strained her wings to turn around right side up again. And then, with Rainbow Dash's empty forehooves extended, Pinkie Pie abruptly landed into her forelegs, bridal-style. Just as she'd planned.

Rainbow Dash had never caught anypony falling in midair in such an awkward position as this before, specifically with her forelegs acting as arms, and she was proud of herself for executing it successfully. She was also impressed with herself that she could maintain it as long as she was.

All her boastful thoughts melted away though, when she heard Pinkie Pie mewling softly and her teeth chattering. She looked down at the pony enfolded in her forelegs, confused as to why she was crying.

"Pinkie Pie…? You're safe now." Rainbow Dash tried to assure her, eyebrows arched in concern.

But the pink pony kept on with her little sniffles and then she suddenly sobbed, "Rainbow Dash!" and burrowed her head into the pegasus's chest.

Rainbow Dash grunted in her effort to keep them afloat but then took notice of how nice it felt to have Pinkie Pie's head resting there.

_I could get used to this,_ Rainbow Dash thought pleasantly and tightened her grip on her. Pinkie Pie continued crying into her chest, though Rainbow Dash couldn't fathom why. Still, she let Pinkie Pie unleash her tsunami of tears as long as she wanted. At least she wasn't yelling at her anymore...

And it was then, listening and watching Pinkie Pie cry her heart out, that Rainbow Dash knew she couldn't make the feeling she held for her stop, and could never bring herself to hate her. Not ever. Not this pink, dainty, wingless angel.

As the high-velocity wind continued to blow through the two ponies, causing them both to shudder in acknowledgement of its cruel nature, the tip of one of Pinkie Pie's mane's curls started to lightly brush against Rainbow Dash's nose and the tickling sensation made her softly giggle.

But, as much as Rainbow Dash liked having Pinkie Pie cuddled up in her aching forelegs, she had to let her go.

She settled them down onto the stable, safe ground and carefully set Pinkie Pie on her rump, though she was met with much protest.

"Don't leave…" Pinkie Pie pleaded, clinging to Rainbow Dash with her tears dripping off her quivering chin. "I'm sorry."

"I won't, don't worry." Rainbow Dash promised, dashing the tears away with a gentle sweep of her hoof. She had never seen Pinkie Pie cry like this before and, so far, she hated it.

Pinkie Pie leaned on Rainbow Dash's shoulder and Rainbow Dash nuzzled her comfortingly. At least, she hoped it was comforting. She wasn't very well practiced in the gesture and she was afraid she might just be jostling her.

But Pinkie Pie didn't complain so she must be doing it right.

They were interrupted though when a voice rang out, "Pinkie Pie!"

Rainbow Dash jerked back in surprise and embarrassment at being seen doing something quite uncharacteristic of her. Her expression changed, however, when she saw who it was…

_Rose._

Rainbow Dash seethed at the sight of her loping over in long strides- needless concern plastered all over her face.

Pinkie Pie, however, turned toward the voice and away from Rainbow Dash, and gave a small smile when she saw who it was, "Hi, Roseluck."

_Roseluck? …Oh._

Roseluck panted when she finally was beside them, and she took a minute to catch her breath. "Was…so…worried."

Pinkie Pie's smile widened, "Aww, you were worried for me?"

Roseluck nodded, "Of course." and proceeded to fondly nuzzle Pinkie Pie in the shoulder, completely unaware or unconcerned with the pegasus in their company.

Rainbow Dash froze when she saw this small display of affection and she felt her stomach constrict agonizingly tight. _Not again…_

Roseluck continued, "Applejack told me she found you-"

"Pinkie Pie!" As if on cue, Applejack was seen walking her way over as well. Walking because she was probably trying to avoid tripping over the rope loosely wrapped around her neck.

The ponies patiently waited for her to reach them and, when she finally did, she grabbed the lasso with her mouth and tossed it onto the ground at their hooves. "Well now…ah reckon ya didn't need my help after all, did ya?" Applejack concluded, smirking.

Pinkie Pie smiled unabashedly, any trace of tears gone. "Nope! And its allllll thanks to-!" Pinkie Pie finally turned to see that Rainbow Dash was gone; the only proof that she had been there was a single cyan feather lying on the ground.

"But-why-where did she go?" Pinkie Pie wondered out loud with a frown and plucked up the feather before the wind could claim it. She studied it intently, sniffed it, and then gasped in realization, "The feather's still warm, I'm not crazy!" she relayed to the befuddled Roseluck and Applejack with confidence.

Applejack was the first to shake it off.

"Wait just an apple-buckin' minute, Rainbow Dash was here?" Applejack asked, skeptical.

Pinkie Pie nodded, sitting down and clutching the feather close. "She was here and…and…she had saved me…and we…" she trailed off, lost in thought and at loss for words; something Applejack never thought she'd see from Pinkie Pie.

Roseluck stared at Pinkie Pie, perturbed at what she heard. "She did?"

Pinkie Pie nodded mutely, her mind still preoccupied with the past events.

Applejack looked around at the land dominated by hundreds and hundreds of trees, her sharp, green eyes seeking out any sign of the pegasus she'd wronged earlier. Meanwhile, Roseluck seemed to be thinking very hard on something.

"And now she's gone." Pinkie Pie suddenly murmured glumly, staring down at the feather she held gingerly between her hooves.

Applejack turned a sympathetic eye, "Aww, don't ya worry none, sugarcube. She'll be back before too long."

Pinkie Pie nodded mutely again but not looking the least bit at ease from Applejack's words.

Roseluck shivered from another blast of a cold air current, "Come on, Pinkie Pie." she said abruptly, nudging the pensive pink pony back on her hooves. "Let's go home."

"Uh…y'all go ahead, ah'll meet up wit' ya later." Applejack decided.

Pinkie Pie skimmed the wooded area one last time before she reluctantly left with Roseluck and the ruffled feather back to Ponyville.

Applejack waved the two ponies' goodbye and then gazed out suspiciously, "Rainbow Dash?" she called out expectantly into the woods.

_One apple in the basket, two apples in the basket, three apples in the basket..._

"What?" a voice growled, assumingly Rainbow Dash's.

Applejack bent her head around to see from whence the voice came, but she didn't see nopony. At least, nopony that was on the ground; they could be leering down at her right now, lounging atop a distant tree branch, and she wouldn't know it.

"Rainbow Dash?" she called again, more tentatively this time around.

A hiss of wind and a thud was heard precisely afterwards and Applejack leaped into the air in surprise.

"What do you want, Applejack? You come here to mock me or something?" Applejack heard the voice directly behind her this time and she whirled around to see a grim-faced Rainbow Dash.

Applejack briefly hung her head in relief and then attempted to berate the pegasus for her disappearing act earlier, "Rainbow Dash, ah been lookin' all ova Ponyville for ya! And listen here, ah know ya think ah-"

"Oh, I know exactly what you think, Applejack." Rainbow Dash broke in, an intimidating gleam in her eyes as she bared her teeth in a crazed grin. Applejack was about to comment on her strange tone but Rainbow Dash suddenly crammed her hoof into Applejack's mouth, preventing any words from escaping.

"But you know what?" Rainbow Dash continued uninterrupted and started to lean close, overlooking Applejack's frantic hooves digging into the ground in her panic. _What is she doin'-?_

"I don't care."

Applejack's struggles ceased at those three syllables; she could sense the most elated relief behind the words. And she now watched Rainbow Dash attentively with curious interest.

Rainbow Dash, seeing Applejack was compliant to listen, was content to elaborate. "I don't care because…because…because when I'm with Pinkie Pie, I can have fun and not have to worry about if the Wonderbolts will pick me as their newest member or not. I can forget about perfecting my moves and just live in the moment, with her."

Applejack's eyebrows turned down and she looked on with glinting, perceptive eyes. She tried to say something but her voice was muffled from Rainbow Dash's hoof and the pegasus declined her desire to speak her mind.

She wasn't finished yet.

"And… I don't care if you don't want to be my friend anymore, either. My feelings for Pinkie Pie are real and I can't just forget them. So, if you choose to end our friendship, that's your choice. But, I want you to know that I did try…I tried to make myself hate her…but I can't do it." Rainbow Dash rushed on, avoiding Applejack's beseeching gaze in the fear she might burst into tears if she looked at her.

Suddenly, Applejack started furiously shaking her head and Rainbow Dash finally uncovered her mouth and then looked off to the side meekly. _Me? Almost suffocate Applejack? Nah._

Applejack took a gulp full of air, "Of course ah still wanna be your friend!" were Applejack's first words and Rainbow Dash's head snapped back at her, blinking in surprise. It was especially surprising to hear when one considered the way she had just rough handled her.

"But…"

"Rainbow Dash, ah don't care who you're sweet on; if Pinkie Pie makes ya happy, then Celestia's sake, ya should be happy wit' her!" Applejack exclaimed, offering a smile.

Rainbow Dash didn't smile back, "Well you might be okay with it but…what about the others?"

By others, she meant Twilight, Rarity, and Fluttershy.

Applejack sighed and then, despite her iffy thoughts, said confidently "Ah am sure they will feel the same; they're your friends too, after all."

Rainbow Dash still looked uncertain but she did finally smile, if not hesitantly, "Then I guess that just leaves one problem..."

Applejack raised a brow inquisitively.

Rainbow Dash sighed miserably, "Pinkie Pie doesn't like me anymore."

Applejack opened her mouth in objection but Rainbow Dash cut her short. "She's with another pony, AJ; the mare named Roseluck." Rainbow Dash gagged at the name.

Applejack now gave pause. _Well…that would explain some things._

"But I'm going to try and get her back." Rainbow Dash broke into Applejack's thoughts and the two ponies stared at each other, one waiting for the other's approval and the other still trying to come to terms with this new chain of events.

Then Applejack grinned, "How can ah help?"


	6. Doozy

**Chapter 6: A doozy**

Rainbow Dash knew from the start that she wanted to show up Roseluck, big time, and win Pinkie Pie over in the most spectacular & impressive way possible.

She just didn't know how.

But Applejack had some ideas. In fact, some of them were actually really good ones. One of them, in particular, was the concept that Rainbow Dash could shape the cumulus clouds in the sky into words as a message to Pinkie Pie.

Something as simple and straightforward as that shouldn't be too hard.

Applejack had been pleased that Rainbow Dash had actually chosen one of her ideas and assured her that she would have lured Pinkie Pie over to bear witness to their designated patch of sky. Meanwhile, Rainbow Dash was to make sure the clouds stayed put for as long as possible and line them up perfectly.

Unfortunately, it didn't go according to plan.

_Oh horseapples, they're gonna be here any second_, Rainbow Dash fretted in her head. She was currently trying to keep cloud number four in shape but it refused to be condensed into the letter "k" for longer than ten seconds.

_This is such disaster! Not to mention embarrassing…_

Rainbow Dash, the faster flier in Equestria, hadn't even finished writing out the sentence! And now she was expecting Pinkie Pie and Applejack to come out and see her message. Only there wouldn't be a message because the clouds wouldn't_ stay in shape!_

"Why-" she pounded her hoof into the cushiony cloud as hard as she could, "won't-" again "you-" and again "stay" and yet again "still?"

Rainbow Dash howled & whaled out her frustrations at this unexpected predicament into the innocent cloud.

She had been all riled up to win Pinkie Pie back that she obviously overlooked the possibility that the clouds would not conform to any shape or size she wanted; they did whatever the hay they wanted. Or maybe they were just being difficult in an act of revenge for all those years of snoozing on them; perhaps they found it insulting?

_Oh great, now I'm talking as if clouds have feelings…_

"Ugh," she sighed, crossing her forelegs and absently kicking the cloud, as if it could feel any pain.

"Applejack, why won't you just tell me?" Rainbow Dash suddenly heard Pinkie Pie's excited voice that was bordering on irritated impatience from down below so she took that as her cue to hide.

She quickly examined the potential hiding places…which were all clouds. She groaned inwardly but, unless she wanted to risk hiding behind the lone tree below, it was the safest bet.

She dug her way into a cloud like a dog and then patted around it to conceal herself away from curious, wandering eyes. Specifically the curious, wandering eyes of the two ponies below...

"Just ya wait, Pinkie Pie. Now, what do ya see?" She could hear Applejack's muffled voice through the cloud and she tried her hoof at telepathy by sending Applejack an urgent "Abandon ship!" or something else to that effect.

But, of course, Applejack did not receive her message because she was too busy searching across the sky for the message to Pinkie Pie.

"Uh?" That was Pinkie Pie sounding very confused.

"Oh…" And that was Applejack realizing there was nothing to see but scattered clouds with no hidden meaning or message.

"Applejack, all I see are clouds…mmmm, they remind me of marshmallows, I love marshmallows. Don't you? Ooh, I know- let's go get us some!" There was the sound of hooves scraping across the dirt as Applejack was dragged away by Pinkie Pie to Sugarcube Corner; her fate sealed to endure pounds and pounds of marshmallow consumption.

~Pounds & pounds of marshmallow consumption later~

Applejack burped for the third time, her breath permeated with the unusual scent of marshmallows. "Pardon; boy, ah never knew ah had such a sweet tooth!"

Rainbow Dash looked over at her friend's slightly protruding tummy guiltily, "I'm sorry, AJ. I didn't know it wouldn't work and-"

"Oh, hush now." Applejack interrupted her bluntly, "Ah was treated to the best hospitality. An' your apologizin' for THAT?"

"Um…yes." Rainbow Dash mumbled an answer, quelling her jealous thoughts concerning the pink and orange pony feasting together on the white, gooey, and puffy treats.

Applejack sighed through a smile, "Neva'mind; now, what's the plan, Stan?"

Rainbow was still floating in mid-air beside her friend, as it was her much preferred means of travel, when an idea hatched in her head. As if all it needed was for Applejack to pop that one question and _ding_.

_But that means…_

"AJ! I know what I have to do!" she exclaimed in an outburst, making Applejack cower in defense.

"What, already?"

"Your Square Dance Party is coming up, right?" Rainbow Dash checked for affirmation from the source.

"Sure is, in only two days! Can ya believe it?"

Rainbow Dash's mind blanked out when she interpreted Applejack's words.

_Two. Days._

She groaned in self-pity, "Can't you postpone it?" she pleaded.

Applejack was taken aback by this request, "Now, why in Equestria would ah wanna do that?" she asked, cautiously curious.

"So your best friend could knock your other best friend's socks off with a rockin' performance?" Rainbow Dash suggested uncertainly, twiddling her hooves while she stared off into the distance as if she hadn't said a word.

Applejack smirked at the image the words conjured up in her mind's eye, "Now, that would be a sight to see, for sure." She mused aloud.

"So, does that mean you will postpone?" Rainbow Dash pried hopefully.

Applejack looked up at the pegasus whose shadow was keeping her relatively cool, "It means... ah will help."

.

"So, you want me to what now?"

Applejack chortled at the incredulous pegasus, "Oh, c'mon. If Pinkie Pie can do it, why can't the amazin' Rainbow Dash?"

Rainbow Dash looked down at Applejack like _"Seriously, you're pulling that card?"_

"But, singing isn't my thing; it's hers." Rainbow Dash pointed out and then sighed when Applejack raised a brow that said otherwise.

_Okay, so there was that one time during Winter Wrap-Up…and the Grand Galloping Gala…_

"Look," Rainbow Dash's voice took on a commanding tone as she decided to go for a different approach to this disagreement, "when I said performance, I was thinking more along the lines of like, me doing some cool aerial tricks, ya know? And there would be like, a spotlight on me & fireworks would be going off in the background, and then when I saw Pinkie Pie I'd…uh…I'd…um…" Rainbow Dash had started out fine but when she got to the part about their hyperactive pink friend she started tripping over her words and blushing hard.

Applejack swallowed a chuckle at her friend's discomfort, "Rainbow Dash, ya do these fancy "aerial tricks" all the time. The point is to take Pinkie by surprise an' show her what you're willin' to do for her affections."

Rainbow Dash noticeably blushed even harder at the word "affections" and Applejack had to try even harder to hold in a laugh.

"I dunno, AJ." Rainbow Dash murmured; her wings drooping as she touched down on the ground next to her companion.

Applejack persisted, "Ah know she'll love it-singing is the surefire way to Pinkie Pie's heart."

Rainbow Dash couldn't argue with that; after all, Pinkie Pie was prone to randomly bursting out into songs at any given time.

And so it would seem the pale cyan coated pony looked to be considering…or maybe she was about to take off.

Applejack knew she needed more leverage to sway her more, "Ya can even make your own sooooong…?" she coaxed enticingly.

And then a slow, but definite, smile graced Rainbow Dash's face, "Now we're talkin'."

And now Applejack did laugh.

~Meanwhile at Sugarcube Corner~

Just after Applejack had left, with a full, satisfied stomach thanks to the confectionery's delectable treats, Roseluck immediately came in to take her place.

Pinkie Pie smiled affably at the new customer, "Hiya! Did you come for the marshmallows?"

Roseluck paused in front of a colorful display of large lollipops, "What marshmallows?" she asked, arching her brows in bewilderment.

Pinkie Pie rolled her eyes to the ceiling, "Oh, like you don't know!"

Roseluck still was confused but then mentally drew the conclusion that it was just Pinkie Pie being random again; one of her many charms.

"I came here to see how you were doing, actually," Roseluck said plain and simple. "You know, between being attacked by an overgrown cat and falling off a high cliff, I think you've earned yourself the occasional checkup."

Pinkie Pie merely giggled at the mention of the past events, "I wonder what's in store for me today…" she wondered, tapping a hoof against her chin in thought.

Roseluck perked up at this, eager as a pup for fetch. "Wanna go do something?"

"Like…?" Pinkie Pie waited for the other pony to fill in.

"Anything!" Roseluck decided helpfully, gazing at her expectantly while smiling widely with starstruck eyes.

Pinkie Pie stared back at the pony, analyzing her expression curiously. _Wow…if I didn't know any better I'd think she had a crush on me or something!_

Pinkie Pie laughed to herself, "We'll go feed the turtles!" With that said, she swiped up a bag of marshmallows resting on the counter that Roseluck didn't take notice of before. And now her green, wandering eyes were exploring the whole counter; an ordering form for the various cakes the confectionery provided, a bag of sugar, an eggbeater, a light bulb, and …what was that?

"What's that?" Roseluck vocalized her thought, pointing at a glass jar where a single pale cyan feather had made its home at the bottom.

Pinkie Pie turned her head to see what Roseluck was indicating and paled as a frown took hold of her face that had been smiling only seconds earlier, "O-oh, that's nothing!" she stuttered, faking a nonchalant smile.

"Doesn't look like nothing…" Roseluck crept closer for a better inspection but then Pinkie Pie was suddenly in front of her, blocking view of the jar with her hooves outspread defensively.

"Nothing to see here!" she insisted, sweat visible on her forehead.

Roseluck tried to peer around her but eventually gave up when Pinkie Pie parried all her attempts.

"Okay, Pinkie…" Roseluck said, her ears wilting to show that she had clearly given up.

Pinkie Pie's face burst into a relieved smile, "Great! I mean…let's go."

Roseluck nodded, secretly hurt that Pinkie Pie was obviously hiding something from her.

And she had a sneaking suspicious of what it was.

~And back~

"How's that comin' along?"

Applejack's inquisitive voice broke Rainbow Dash out of her intense concentration, "Gah! AJ, I can't do this." she burst out, her pencil falling from her mouth as she did. She had been staring at a blank piece of paper on the picnic table for the past fifteen minutes, willing words to write themselves.

She was stuck; she couldn't find the right words that explained what she felt for Pinkie Pie. And the fact that was she trying (read: failing) to write a song that expressed her feelings made her gag.

Sure, earlier it had seemed like a fun idea but now…she knew she couldn't do it.

"Sure ya can, ya just gotta-"

"No, everything I come up with sounds dumb…" Rainbow Dash cut in glumly.

Applejack sighed in barely repressed exasperation, "Rainbow, ya can't expect a one-hit wonder so soon. Maybe ya need some inspiration." she suggested calmly.

"Oh…like?" Rainbow Dash wanted to know.

Applejack was just about to respond when they heard a wet splash off in the distance, catching them off guard.

The aqueous disruption had sparked both of their curiosities' and Applejack gestured for RD to follow her toward where the noise had come from.

They had already figured out for themselves that the disturbance had come from the local lake and they made their way in that direction. Then, after a negligible time of walking, they could catch a glimpse of it, if they strained their neck enough that is. And even though Rainbow Dash had access to a bird's eye view, she stayed grounded with Applejack.

Once they knew they'd walked far enough, they both silently agreed to spy in the bushes clumped together on the sidelines where they could observe whatever it was that was occupying the lake, without unintentionally scaring it off.

Applejack was first to poke her head out from the cluster of leaves and take stock of the small basin.

"Oh…" she realized.

"What?" Rainbow Dash whispered, still groping around the bushes for an opening.

Applejack swallowed, "Oh, uh…it's nothing-we should go." Applejack was glad Rainbow Dash couldn't see her face; she'd see through her lie immediately.

"Aw, come on, we came all this way just to-"

"Looks like we did," Applejack finished for her and shifted around so that they could head back to the picnic table.

But Rainbow Dash didn't budge, "What is it?"

Applejack tried shoving her out, "C'mon! Ah'd say sneakin' 'round these bushes has been real inspirin', best get it all down on paper lickety split."

But Rainbow Dash still wasn't having any of it, "AJ, are you hiding something?"

"Nope." Seeing Applejack's attempt at a poker face finally convinced Rainbow Dash to see what it was and she slithered past her.

"No, Rainbow!" Applejack hissed in a whisper and then hooked onto the rainbow striped tail with her mouth to start tugging her back.

Rainbow Dash felt her tail being pulled, a most unpleasant feeling, by the way, and struggled to edge towards the crack in the bushes where sunlight banished the darkness of the secluded bushes.

"Please…AJ…let go." she labored, noting to herself how much she hated when Applejack resorted to this method.

Applejack, of course, did not respond because that would mean she would have to release her hold on the pegasus's tail.

Which, turned out, didn't matter when their state of equilibrium eventually was broken when Applejack's teeth accidentally slipped through Rainbow Dash's tail's fine hairs and all the tension came crashing back at her as she flew backwards through the bush.

Rainbow Dash merely made an unsteady step forward and almost dunked her whole head into the bushes bristly leaves, but she caught herself with her wings before she did.

And since being crammed in the bushes wasn't Rainbow Dash's style, she decided to burst out of them, careless whether or not anypony would hear her. At least from up there, Applejack couldn't stop her.

She breathed in the sweet air as she flew up and then just floated there for a while, reveling in the change of scenery.

Eventually, she gazed down from her vantage point to see what the big deal was.

She was startled to find out that the two dots down below were Pinkie Pie…and that stupid pony, Roseluck.

And they were, she squinted, playing in the water? _With marshmallows?_

Rainbow Dash decided she needed to clear up a few things so she angled her wings back down to the dreaded ground where she would land softly beside a tree.

Pinkie Pie's bubbly voice was heard not five seconds after her descent, "Come on, little turtles! We have some yummy treats for you!" Pinkie Pie giggled, tossing more marshmallows at the edge of the water. And they weren't even mini marshmallows.

Roseluck giggled right along with the pink pony, throwing in her own spare marshmallow "I don't even think turtles can eat marshmallows…" she remarked thoughtfully, even as she threw three more into the marshmallow infested lake.

Pinkie Pie gasped, looking over at her partner in crime, "Really? That's turtally sad!"

Roseluck laughed at Pinkie Pie's cheesy pun and Rainbow Dash now knew why Applejack didn't want her to see them. Together. Happy and laughing. Having fun. Feeding turtles _marshmallows_.

_Why does Pinkie Pie even hang out with Roseluck, I mean, seriously, all that pony has going for her is a stinkin' rose garden. Laaaaame._

And yet, they seemed to be having a good ole jolly time together...and as Rainbow Dash's gaze lingered, she slowly came to the realization that this was the very same lake that Pinkie Pie and herself had attempted to prank Fluttershy with a phony-turtle. She felt a pang at the memory, reflecting how her life was seriously lacking in the pranks department as of late. And to see Pinkie Pie now...to see those two ponies...it was all too much to bear and, just as Rainbow Dash had told herself to take off and leave, she heard another splash.

Only this splash was way louder; she could practically hear the water spilling over in enormous waves. And then somepony screamed…

Rainbow Dash swiftly changed direction, ready for action as she leaped into the air and dashed over to the scene.

And there was Roseluck, looking over the edge of the lake frantically where large ripples were still visible.

But where was Pinkie Pie?

"Where is she?" Rainbow Dash demanded of the hysterical earth pony that now looked over at her in surprise.

"Rainbo-" she started, her eyes welling up with tears.

"Where is she, Roseluck?" Rainbow Dash asked again impatiently. She could only guess where and she didn't like it, not one bit. And, if Roseluck took too long to cough up an answer, you bet your bits she would go down there and find out for herself.

Roseluck sniffled and pointed with a shaking hoof into the water that had soggy marshmallows spread about in small groups, "S-s-she …and there was a-a-a...huge turtle; oh, the horror!"

Rainbow Dash's eyes widened; _wait, did she just say a turtle?_

"Please, save her!" Roseluck sobbed, imploring her with big, glistening, and green eyes.

_Don't need to tell me twice._

Since there was no time to get any scuba gear, not when there was a chance Pinkie Pie could be hurt, she took a deep gulp full of air, knowing it might be awhile before she could surface for more oxygen.

And then Rainbow Dash, who was still unsure on what she was dealing with exactly-a mutant ninja turtle?-tucked in her wings securely and plunged herself into the lake's lukewarm waters with only one thought in mind.

_Save Pinkie Pie._

~On land~

Roseluck stared into the lake's depths, as if she could see anything past two hooves.

She sighed pitifully, feeling helpless as she stayed behind to wait for their return.

That is, if they ever _did_ return.

"Uh, 'scuse me, miss?"

Roseluck turned toward the owner of the voice, vaguely recognizing it as Ponyville's most capable and dependable pony, Applejack.

"Uh, h-hi, Applejack," she greeted, surprised to see her here. Even though she found the idea of being surprised at this point ludicrous, considering a giant reptile had stolen away Pinkie Pie right from under her snout seconds ago. In fact, the only thing she truly was surprised of was her remarkable feat for having not fainted from the horrific turn this outing had taken.

"Ah was just wonderin' if ya happened to see Rainbow?" Applejack asked, looking around in case she might have overlooked the variegated pegasus.

Roseluck didn't respond right away.

"And hey, as long as we're on the topic of missin' ponies, where is Pinkie Pie?" Applejack had finally noticed Pinkie Pie wasn't with Roseluck anymore like she was earlier.

Roseluck stifled a sniffle at the mention of Pinkie Pie, "S-s-she was taken away…it was the d-d-doozy." she sputtered.

"What?" Applejack gaped, staring at Roseluck in disbelief.

_Is she pullin' my tail?_

But then Applejack reminded herself that Roseluck wasn't prone to pulling practical jokes; though she was melodramatic sometimes.

And her face…it was devastated.

"What doozy? What was it?" Applejack asked, suddenly urgent as the muddy Hydra from Froggy Bottom Bog flashed through her mind.

Roseluck glanced up from beneath her forelock, "A monster."

~Underwater~

You'd think that a huge turtle would be easier to find.

Rainbow Dash's nose-dive had earned her a place among the, oh so lovely seaweed that lay reign over the entire seabed. The muddy sediment that had been stirred from her landing also laid out the welcome mat by floating up into her eyes so that she was temporarily blinded.

Rainbow Dash felt like coughing but she knew that was against the rules down here. Unless you _wanted_ to choke and die.

Her vision also wasn't as good down here but she still did the routine back-and-forth onceover anyway.

And there was nothing but murky water and disappointment.

_Wow, everything seemed so much clearer up above._

Probably because she didn't belong down here; she belonged up above. But Pinkie Pie didn't belong down here either, and, as long as she was here being held against her will by some _turtle_, Rainbow Dash would abandon all the things she held near and dear in order to save her.

Including air.

Rainbow Dash's eyes strained & squinted against the dirty lake water and she paddled herself around with her front hooves while her hind legs pushed against the water, leaving a trail of bubbles in their wake. She wasn't moving as fast as she'd liked but at least she was moving. And there was one good side to floating around underwater; everything was muted. The only sounds were bubbles as she trended through the water. It was actually quite peaceful.

_Hey, this isn't so bad…_

And then, too soon, her lungs were now starting to burn and yelled at her to surface for more air; which she would have gladly done. After all, she wouldn't be much help for Pinkie Pie if she was dead, and she couldn't even find said pony…

A pink blur.

She could see a pink blur.

Yes, it was a blur, but it was pink nonetheless!

It had to be Pinkie Pie; there was no other explanation for the vibrant bright pink blot that was thrashing around.

Ignoring her lung's protests, she lunged through the water in a sudden burst of energy and, defying the water's pressure, zipped towards the distinguishable pink blur in seconds.

And as she swam closer, she could determine that it was, in fact, Pinkie Pie.

She could also determine that the unconscious Pinkie Pie was, of all things, being fondled by the biggest, baddest turtle Rainbow Dash ever lived to see.

_Seriously, what are they putting into these waters? Toxic chemical waste?_

And then imagine the brown, scaly monstrosity's surprise & fury when a rainbow blur swept past to snatch up its latest toy from its webbed claws.

Rainbow Dash felt like cackling back at the ignoramus turtle's expense.

And then she felt like screaming when the turtle started after her in a high-speed underwater chase.

_Like I don't have enough competition, now this fatty wants my girl, too?_

Rainbow Dash cranked up her speed as much as she could while the turtle practically nipped at her tail, it was so close.

And she was running out of air…

She could feel herself start to shut down and the turtle was still right there, trimming down seaweed and agitating more of the muck on the seafloor as it closed in on them.

Her eyes squeezed shut as she thought, _I'm sorry, Pinkie Pie. I failed you._

And then, since she still felt slightly numb from the adrenaline, she didn't feel the enchanted lasso slip over her head and start tugging her to the surface.

All she knew was that she was holding Pinkie Pie as tightly as she could, and even then she couldn't feel a warm presence or anything.

And when her face broke the surface?

She thought she had died and gone to heaven.

"Rainbow Dash!"

Somepony was screaming but she couldn't put a name to the voice.

But she could put a name to the delicious gas that was now filling her lungs: oxygen.

She started coughing up the grainy water and gagged.

When she finally could open her eyes again, she saw Applejack leaning over her racking, soaked form with one of her hooves resting on her shoulder in support.

Rainbow Dash had never been so grateful for that stupid lasso.

"Where's Pinkie Pie?" Rainbow Dash rasped out since a "thank you" apparently never came to mind.

Applejack bit her lip and looked over her shoulder, "Twi is doin' all she can…" she tried to reassure her.

It didn't even faze her that Twilight Sparkle was here; she just knew that it wasn't good enough when somepony said "they're doing all they can"

Rainbow Dash sat up, too fast, and she felt a bit dizzy for a while. But then she saw her…

Rainbow Dash stopped breathing when her eyes found Pinkie Pie lying there, drenched and limp as a fish out of water. And she could feel all the adrenaline-fueled aplomb from earlier draining out of her as helpless despair filled her instead.

_Why is she so still?_

After she practiced opening and closing her mouth, Rainbow Dash finally managed to ask the question that meant life or death "Is she breathing?"

Applejack looked down, her hat's brim hooding her eyes as she occupied herself by removing the rope clasped around Rainbow Dash's withers; avoiding the question.

Rainbow Dash's eyes narrowed, "She is going to be alright."

It wasn't a question; it was a statement. She had to be alright. This was _Pinkie Pie_ they were talking about.

Applejack finally spoke up in a gentle tone, so as not to upset her friend, "Sugarcube, ah know ya prob don't wanna listen to anypony right now, but she was down there for a mighty long time an'-"

"No, you're right; I don't wanna listen." Rainbow Dash interrupted her; she already knew where she was going with that conversation. But it wasn't true. Twilight Sparkle would fix Pinkie Pie, simple as that.

And so, Rainbow Dash and Applejack watched Twilight Sparkle hover over Pinkie Pie's body as she worked painstakingly hard to muster all her magic to do some miracle work. But, if Rainbow Dash was being honest with herself, she knew she was mostly watching Pinkie Pie, hoping for any sign of hope.

Her normally bouncy, unkempt hair had gone plain & flat in the water, her whole coat had become a darker pink, and Rainbow Dash found herself marveling at how un-Pinkie Pie she seemed from the one she'd seen before with Roseluck.

And then, after all that tense & perilous silence, the moment finally came where Pinkie Pie's chest started to rapidly rise and fall again and, as if that wasn't enough reason to celebrate, she gasped, like she would waking from a nightmare, and proceeded to spurt water out of her system and into Twilight Sparkle's startled face.

There was a chorus of joyous "Pinkie Pie!", though Twilight Sparkle said it with irritation, but the girl just had nasty, digested water blasted into her face, so nopony could blame her.

"Turtles!" was Pinkie Pie's first word as she jerked up to pay immediate attention to her surroundings, her mane & tail springing up into her normal hairdo as she did.

She couldn't have gotten a good enough look around though because she was then promptly enclosed into a fierce hug by the earth pony with a flower as her cutie mark.

"You're okay!" Roseluck cried out in relief, stating the obvious.

Rainbow Dash had completely forgotten about that pony and she now glared at her with such hatred that she felt she would explode. Twice.

"Dagnabbit, Pinkie Pie! Are ya darn set on gettin' yourself killed?" Applejack said frowning, though her eyes held a different story for what she was feeling right now.

"What happened?" Twilight Sparkle asked simply, still wiping her face clean of Pinkie Pie-germs. "Roseluck was vague about the details…"

Rainbow Dash was still trying to burn a hole through Roseluck with her imaginary, laser eyes but took it upon herself to answer Twilight Sparkle's question, "I saved Pinkie Pie from a big-flank, ugly, mutant turtle."

Pinkie Pie's eyes widened, since she was unconscious through the whole ordeal and was unclear on what exactly happened, "You did?"

Rainbow Dash briefly tore her gaze from Roseluck and met Pinkie Pie's sky blue eyes, "Yes." And then she looked back at Roseluck, daring her to deny it. But Roseluck was silent, just staring at the ground in thought while still gripping Pinkie Pie to her possessively.

"Wait, a mutant? What makes you think the turtle was a mutant?" Twilight Sparkle asked, curious yet cautiously skeptic.

"Well, for one thing, it was huge, probably as big as your treehouse, and it wanted to eat Pinkie Pie." Rainbow Dash explained as if it were obvious.

Twilight Sparkle made some noncommittal sounds and Applejack looked to Rainbow Dash inquisitively, "Hey, ah'm no expert on turtles or nothin', but ah'm pretty sure they ain't carnivores."

Twilight Sparkle smiled at Applejack appreciatively, "Applejack's right. Turtles wouldn't try and consume a pony and, even if they wanted to, they couldn't."

Rainbow Dash sighed in frustration, "Didn't I mention it was huge? And if it wasn't going to eat Pinkie Pie, what did it want with her?" To Rainbow Dash personally, she didn't care what it wanted from Pinkie Pie; Pinkie Pie was hers.

And hers alone.

And then the subject of their conversation suggested lightly, "Maybe reptiles can sense other reptiles; I have Gummy and he is a reptile. Maybe the turtle was lonely and wanted a friend."

"Pinkie Pie, that's ridiculous," Twilight Sparkle scoffed.

"Now hold on there, she might be right," Applejack said and Twilight Sparkle looked over at her in disbelief, as if she felt betrayed.

Applejack continued, "Ah know whenever Rarity comes an' visits the farm, which is hardly ever, she carries her pet cat's scent an' Winona goes nuts."

"Yeah, but that's with cats and dogs. Turtles and alligators are different." Twilight Sparkle said, though with an undertone of uncertainty.

"Well, what other explanation is there?" Applejack pointed out.

Twilight Sparkle did not reply and instead asked, "How are you feeling, Pinkie Pie? That must have been quite a traumatic experience."

"Welllll, my nose is burning and my foreleg is a little achy," Pinkie Pie admitted, poking her own snout lightly, "but other than that, I feel okie doki loki!"

Then just when Rainbow Dash was going to say something to add to that, Roseluck beat her to it, "We should have listened to your Pinkie Sense!"

Twilight Sparkle looked over at Roseluck sharply at her outburst, now filled with dread. "Wait, are you saying her 'Pinkie Sense' predicted something again?" she asked, as if Pinkie Pie wasn't right there to answer for her; which she did, anyway.

"Yeah, I started shaking and shivering uncontrollably, so I knew a doozy was underway!" Pinkie Pie confirmed, smiling proudly.

"I think you mean 'impending', Pinkie." Twilight Sparkle corrected her calmly, "The term "underway" refers to som-"

Applejack spoke up again over Twilight Sparkle's voice to salvage a conversation that was starting to sound like a lecture about lessons on vocabulary and the proper ways to use them. "An' yet ya still-uh, what the hay were y'all doin' anyway?" She was, of course, referring to whatever activity Pinkie Pie and Roseluck were engaging in prior to Pinkie Pie being ravished by the monster.

"Just feeding the turtles some leftover marshmallows," Pinkie Pie replied, batting her eyelashes innocently.

Twilight Sparkle was not amused, "Well, that explains it then. The reason you were ponynapped by this supposed turtle was because you were dumping garbage into its environment, its habitat, its-"

Applejack coughed in a manner not unlike one does when they want somepony to 'get on with it'.

At this, Twilight Sparkle threw a glance over at Applejack, taking the hint, "Essentially its home." she finished.

Pinkie Pie's mouth went slack in shock, "GARBAGE? Are you kidding me? Marshmallows are like, the best things since sliced bread!"

"That shouldn't matter; marshmallows don't belong in a turtles diet so you shouldn't have done it," Twilight Sparkle preached, eyes narrowed in indignation for the poor turtles. "They could choke on them."

Pinkie Pie stared at Twilight Sparkle for a while, slowly recognizing her own wrongdoing, and then looked down over at the lake in shame, "Sorry turtles…" she murmured apologetically.

"Twilight, are you seriously defending the thing that almost killed Pinkie Pie?" Rainbow Dash raved, hating how guilty Pinkie Pie looked.

"No, I am just saying that what she did was probably what set it off," Twilight Sparkle refuted calmly.

"I'm a bad pony," Pinkie Pie suddenly whimpered, and Roseluck offered a comforting hoof to her shoulder.

"No, you're not," she told her softly before Rainbow Dash could.

_Why didn't Roseluck just admit she was in on it, too?_

"Welp, it's over now." Applejack said with a sigh, grimacing as she rolled her stiff shoulders.

And so, after that, everypony started to leave the scene; Twilight Sparkle said she would look into the matter with the 'lake monster', Applejack left for Sweet Apple Acres, but not before telling Pinkie Pie to "stay outta trouble, ya hear?", and Pinkie Pie said she wanted to be left alone for a while and cantered off to Sugarcube Corner.

And now there was only Rainbow Dash and Roseluck left.

Rainbow Dash had every intention not to speak with Roseluck but, just as she was about to take to the air, Roseluck said, "Thank you for saving Pinkie Pie."

Rainbow Dash's wings lowered slightly and she turned toward the other mare, "I didn't do it for you." and then, with that said, she took off without looking back.

And as the exhilarating wind dried her off during her escapee flight, she realized she knew exactly what to write for a song.

~Dreaming Again~

_Where am I?_

_Pinkie Pie took stock of her surroundings and gathered that everypony she saw were dressed up like cowponies, but she didn't see her friends among the bustling crowd._

_There were mares in hats, stallions wearing chaps. There was also the unmistakable smell of apples; apple pies, apple crisp, apple cider, apple fritters, ect._

_And the music…was that a fiddle?_

_So, was she at the Square Dance Party?_

_Pinkie Pie looked down, finally recognizing the feeling of soft fabric against her skin, and gasped in wonder._

_Her dress!_

_It was a shocking pink dress, just like she wanted, that resembled damask with a pattern of candy apples, lining up all across her body in equal proportions to one another. It was certainly appropriate enough for this occasion, she liked to think. She'd also added a white clown squirt flower to the collar as her final touch, though she didn't tell Rarity this because she would haven't seen it for what it was: harmless fun._

_Well, since this was the Square Dance Party, where was Roseluck? Wasn't she supposed to be here with her?_

_Or…_

_Or was Rainbow Dash supposed to be here with her?_

_Pinkie Pie didn't deny the feeling of warmth that spread throughout her entire body, in the most pleasant way possible, as her thoughts steered toward the pegasus._

_The feeling only intensified when Rainbow Dash suddenly popped into view, grinning._

_"Pinkie Pie!" the pegasus said, still wearing a dopey grin on her muzzle._

_Pinkie Pie looked behind her, as if there was somepony else she shared names with that Rainbow Dash could be referring to._

_"Pinkie Pie!" Rainbow Dash said again, giggling now as she pointed one hoof at her. "I meant you, silly filly!"_

_Pinkie Pie let a smile slowly spread across her face when she realized she had somehow caught the attention of commendable Rainbow Dash. In fact, the only thing she could do was smile. It was like she was reliving every moment she ever experienced with Rainbow Dash, all over again, until it all blurred into one feeling._

_Love._

_She was about to say something somewhat intelligent when Applejack's voice took command of the crowd: "Hey, y'all! Look over there, it's the Wonderbolts!"_

_Everypony gasped and the din of conversations ceased, even the fiddle. The party was still and silent for just one moment, an uneasy moment that left a feeling of dread in Pinkie's stomach. Then the moment was over and all noise was replaced with hooves pounding on the ground as everypony was dropping whatever they were doing to start racing toward a blue tent that had "The Wonderbolts!" written across on a starry banner and promised autographs for everypony._

_And the tent happened to be right behind Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash…_

_"Uh, Dashie…there is a stampede of ponies about to trample us…I think we should move." Pinkie Pie said; panic setting in as the mob drew closer._

_"The Wonderbolts!" Rainbow Dash cried in excitement, Pinkie Pie's words unheeded._

_Oh, no…_

_"Dashie?" Pinkie Pie peeped, reaching out a hoof to bring the starstruck Rainbow Dash back to their situation. "Dashie, look at me." she pleaded._

_But Rainbow Dash didn't look at her. And she didn't look back when she flew off to the tent, leaving Pinkie Pie at the mercy of the onslaught of ponies that ran right through her like a herd of wannabe tanks._

_She was knocked to the ground like she was nothing, her beautiful dress tainted & torn, and she feebly covered her head to avoid further injury from the rampant horde of ponies that couldn't be stopped with reason. And when a hoof slapped her in the face, she felt her mind slip away..._

~Dream Blacks Out~

Pinkie Pie woke up, shivering, with her hooves extended above her head, just like she had been doing in her dream.

But she was safe in bed and there wasn't any incoming stampede about to smash her into oblivion.

Pinkie Pie sighed and tucked herself tighter into her bed, her eyes only slightly watering now. But she forbade the tears to escape; she didn't want to cry herself to sleep again like last time.

Last time...but that was a while ago. Why were the nightmares starting up again? Well, at least it didn't include any premonitory promontories. But then again, there was still one consistency...

_Why does Rainbow Dash always have to be involved? Why can't my nightmares be normal, like evil snowponies chasing me with snowballs or something...actually, that would be fun._

And to think, she had been excited for the Square Dance Party.

Now she wasn't so sure…


	7. The Showdown

**Author's Notes:** I made a PMV (Pony Music Video) as a companion to this story. So, if you're interested in watching my less than stellar video editing skills, you can find it on my youtube channel which is linked on my profile BUT you might wanna watch it AFTER reading this chapter 'cause it has Rainbow Dash's song in it so, yeah, that would spoil the surprise.

Or you could go ahead and watch it anyway; either way, I don't care as long as you're happy. :D

ALSO CAN I JUST RAVE ABOUT SOME EPISODES OF SEASON 2 OF MLP:FIM?

MLP:FiM Season Two "May The Best Pet Win": I found this episode really surprising and funny just 'cause I had written this story's last chapter about a turtle (tortoise, whatever) and Rainbow Dash was SINGING. She was singing about finding a pet-of all the things she could sing about, I did not expect that. xD

MLP:FiM Season Two "The Last Roundup": I really love episodes where all the friends go out on an adventure, whether it's to talk down a dragon with smoking problems or catching a runaway Applejack.

MLP:FiM Season Two "The Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000": I totally spotted Roseluck. :D Oh, and the Mane Six teaming up with the Apple family to save Sweet Apple Acres? That was awesome. :3

MLP: FiM Season Two "A Friend in Deed": ROSELUCK, ROSELUCK, ROSELUCK- Ahem, sorry…I know I shouldn't be making such a big deal out of that scene just because she and Pinkie Pie breathed the same air and exchanged like two sentences-but still! Though whaaaat happened to her voice? That is not how she sounds in my head…hmm, anyway! I loooved the "Smile" song and Pinkie Pie's little firework explosion of joy at the end. It's just further proof that-never mind, I'm saving that for later. ;)

Okay guys, I'm going to say it now: This fanfic took place before Season Two even began so there won't be any allusions to any of those episodes. I think I might have mentioned Nightmare Night in one of the previous chapters but that doesn't necessarily mean the episode "Luna Eclipsed" has transpired yet in this timeline.

That aside, I feel like I'm gonna get so much hate for the song this chapter…(Scratch that, I know people are going to hate it. XD)

Nevertheless, if you must hate me for it, could you do it softly…please? D: I'm sensitive.

**Chapter 7: The Showdown**

~The Square Dance Party~

Pinkie Pie couldn't believe it. The days had gone by so fast and yet so much had happened. She wasn't attending the event with Rainbow Dash, like she had hoped, but instead was going with her friend, Roseluck, who had also been in need of a date. And then she'd had that dream…

But she was determined to enjoy herself anyway; she wouldn't let Rainbow Dash or a bad dream spoil a good party for her. So what if the other dream had sorta-kinda come true? That was just a coincidence.

Besides, this was the first "Square Dance" party she'd ever witness and experience; she wanted to soak it all in without any of her worries or feelings for certain pegasi bringing her down. Maybe she could even learn something, like how Applejack had drawn such a diverse and rowdy crowd. In fact, some of these ponies Pinkie Pie had never even seen before!

_How did Applejack manage that_, she thought to herself. _I know everypony in Ponyville._

_Maybe it was the flyers_, she mused.

Pinkie Pie sidestepped an abandoned straw hat as she pondered some more on the subject.

_Hmm, I should start sending flyers for my own parties; yeah! It'll say "Hi my name is Pinkie Pie and I'm throwing a party! Oh, and guess what? You've been invited! And there is going to be so much fun stuff to do, indeedity, and the only thing I ask of you is to bring your dancing horseshoes!"_

…

…_nah. Nopony will come if they don't see me in person!_

Anyway, the whole party was at Sweet Apple Acres and a mass of ponies were milling around the locked in area; Applejack had actually used temporary decorative fences to keep the ponies concentrated in one place and prevent anypony from wandering off into forbidden areas of the farmland. The space allotted to the party-goers was generous enough and all the attractions were inside anyway.

And just like in her dream- which she had promised herself not to dwell on- everypony looked like they'd all stepped off a train from Appaloosa to get here, for there was an abundance of chaps, overalls, bandanas, boots, and not a single hatless head in the crowds.

Of course, she was the only one wearing a resplendent pink dress adorned with candy apple silhouettes lined up across the bodice.

Rarity had suggested a pink cowpony hat to complete the look but Pinkie Pie absolutely refused to wear any cowpony hat- no matter the color. She wanted to look her best for the Square Dance Party, after all, and she was completely and utterly convinced that cowpony hats made her look fat.

Besides, she was already satisfied with her look- for she couldn't stop looking down at her dress and grinning at it, almost like she couldn't believe it was really there.

Everypony had been giving her peculiar looks when they noticed her erratic behavior, what with her head nodding up and down for peeks at her attire, thinking she must have snuck in something illicit beneath the pretty framework of an otherwise innocent dress. Maybe even, _Celestia forbid_, she had smuggled her pet alligator, Gummy.

But Pinkie Pie's easy smiles reassured them that she had no devious intentions.

As for the Square Dance Party's setup, there was the, also temporary, shimmering wooden dance floor that was very …square, though Pinkie Pie had already expected that to be the case-this was a Square Dance Party after all- and was least six hundred square hooves wide.

But despite this, the spacious platform, sadly, had no leftover space for any other willing participants as it was already bustling with at least three different groups of ponies. And 'mild' west dance was certainly not what came to mind as Pinkie Pie gazed upon it…

And off to the side, stimulating the whole Square Dance, was a rostrum where the emcee Applejack, sporting the dress Rarity had designed for her for the Grand Galloping Gala, was directing the crowd with her southern drawl using a megaphone, "Swing your partner 'round an' 'round, an' turn your corner upside down." All of this while a mare known as Fiddlesticks played the fiddle energetically.

The ponies would curtsy or tip their hats to their partner up front and then they'd start playing hard to get as they stepped closer only to step back out of reach and then they would do the 'dosado', as Applejack had commanded it, though Pinkie Pie found the pronunciation so akin to 'dough' that she was at first confused as to why they weren't miming mixing a bowl of dough.

But she eventually chalked it up as weird southern vocabulary and continued to watch the festive bravura wistfully.

_I can't wait 'til Roseluck gets here, it'll be so funtastic! Oh yes, fiddle dee-dee, this Square Dance Party is just the place for me!_

And the food…she could just smell it!

And so, she hopped gleefully onward to the table where the source of the most alluring aroma had drifted from.

And while doing so, she also swept past a blue tent that very much reminded her of the one from her dream…except this one had no banner endorsing the Wonderbolts. In fact, in reality, it was much more likely to be used for storing excessive apples and other goodies instead of some legendary stunt team. Still…

She planned to stay as far from it as possible; no pony stampede would trample her this time.

But in her haste and enthusiasm, she failed to see the approaching pony in her path, whom was also preoccupied.

Inevitably, the pair collided with a slam.

"Oopsie, sorry; I forgot to watch for traffic," Pinkie Pie said, tittering at her own carelessness while rubbing her head sheepishly. When she saw who she had smacked into though, her eyes brightened and her lips curled up into a pleased smile.

"Twilight!" she exclaimed with no regard to personal space, as she bumped noses with the foresaid pony.

"Ah!" Twilight Sparkle winced, backing away in surprise. "Not so loud, Pinkie," She scolded as she massaged her ears she feared would presently need hearing aid.

"Oopsie, sorry." Pinkie Pie apologized again, mimicking Fluttershy's soft voice.

She couldn't keep the act up for long however, when she saw Twilight Sparkle's outfit for the Square Dance Party.

Her eyes shrank to pinpoints and her lips trembled before she finally granted herself the liberty of laughing out loud with the utmost zest, unfortunately right in Twilight Sparkle's face.

"Pinkie!" Twilight Sparkle hissed as she wiped away the spit that Pinkie Pie's laughing fit had entailed, feeling a sense of déjà vu as she did so.

Ignoring that, the unicorn then waited for the explanation to her friend's outburst, watching on in confusion as the pink pony started gasping for air between spurts of giggles.

"Oh, Twilight!" Pinkie Pie snickered, covering her mouth with a hoof as her body heaved with more, albeit smaller, giggles. "You look so silly…"

Twilight Sparkle's face froze in shocked indignation, and then she promptly scrutinized her attire that apparently was a laughingstock. She wore a brown ten-gallon hat that must have been as tall as she was, red-and-white plaid shirt under overalls adorned with patchwork and burdened with some rustic chaps, a black bandana tied around her neck, and heavy looking cowboy boots, complete with shiny spurs.

Yup, she didn't miss a single detail.

Satisfied she'd done a thorough inspection, she asked "How?" and swung her head up to face her friend's grinning face quizzically, still unsure why she thought she looked so amusing.

She continued, "I'm wearing exactly what the book said-"

Pinkie Pie's smile widened, "Well, I think you went a liiiittle overboard, Twi."

Twilight Sparkle frowned at the interruption, but then seemed to seriously consider Pinkie Pie's words and started swinging her head around to examine what everypony else was wearing. And then she looked down at her own apparel until embarrassed comprehension had alighted on her face.

"Oh…" she mumbled.

Pinkie Pie giggled again, "Oh, its okay, Twilight; I won't tell anypony."

Twilight Sparkle gave her a dull look as if to say _"Yeah, like that'll help."_

"Well, I'd love to stay and chit-chat some more, but there's some apple pie that's been _dying_ to introduce itself to my mouth, soooo-" Pinkie Pie went to make a beeline for the food table again but then Twilight Sparkle seemed to remember something.

"Oh, Pinkie, wait!"

Pinkie Pie turned back around, impatience and mild curiosity etching her face. Would she ever have time for pie?

Having won Pinkie Pie's attention, Twilight Sparkle continued, "I wrote to Princess Celestia about the giant turtle mishap."

Pinkie Pie's mouth formed an 'o' as her eyes took on an enraptured shine and she waited eagerly for the inevitable tidbits Twilight Sparkle had to impart.

"Well, to the best of the Princess's knowledge, the aquatic turtle you had the misfortune of meeting would have to be some misguided unicorn's pet; well, before they'd operated an enhancement spell on it anyway. But not to worry, Princess Celestia is taking action, as we speak, to exterminate it and has expressed her eternal gratitude for having, unintentionally of course, located it." Twilight Sparkle was clearly pleased as she summarized all the information, and her voice had unmistakably took a rather fond tone when she mentioned the Princess.

But Pinkie Pie didn't know what to think, but she was pretty sure 'exterminating' the turtle was taking things a bit too far and Fluttershy would agree.

"She isn't really going to kill it, is she?" Pinkie Pie entreated quietly, her eyes shimmering with sympathy for the turtle's fate.

Twilight Sparkle seemed taken aback by this question, looking to Pinkie Pie as if she'd missed the whole point.

But Pinkie Pie didn't say anything beyond that and instead waited anxiously for Twilight Sparkle's response.

"Um, well, yes. The turtle was a… faulty experiment, at best, and it would be …unwise to turn a blind eye on it. There would be disastrous consequences."

Pinkie Pie still did not look sold on the whole idea, "Couldn't they relocate it or something? Or even undo the spell?"

Twilight Sparkle really didn't like that they were second guessing Princess Celestia's decision on the subject and she felt her discomfort grow with Pinkie Pie staring at her like that…

"Well…" her voice took on a stern, defensive tone, "I hope you haven't already forgotten what the turtle did to you, Pinkie Pie; in fact, if it wasn't for my revival spell, which usually takes years to master, you wouldn't even be here right now! You're just lucky you weren't down there longer than you were and that I went ahead of my studies….ahem. So, you see its better this way, right?"

Twilight Sparkle looked back at Pinkie Pie after her little rant was over and immediately regretted her words. _Sweet Celestia, is she…crying?_

Pinkie Pie eyes were, indeed, brimming with unshed tears and she sniffed, "You're right, Twilight….you're always right. I'm sorry."

Twilight Sparkle's eyes squinted in distress and her face crimpled in guilt, "Oh Celestia, no, I'm sorry, Pinkie Pie. I shouldn't have gone off on you like that; that was very insensitive of me. I'm sorry." She hung her head in shame and rubbed her hoof against her leg.

Next thing Twilight Sparkle knew, her lungs were being crushed as she was enclosed in a bear's grip. _Bear hug_, she recalled the term.

"It's okay, Twilight!" Pinkie Pie seemed to have gotten over Twilight Sparkle's tirade fairly quickly and now smiled earnestly at her.

Twilight Sparkle gave a tight smile back, yielding to Pinkie Pie's 'bear hug' as punishment for the way she'd acted.

Eventually, Pinkie Pie released Twilight Sparkle, much to her relief, "Well, my tummy is still being rumbly, so I'll talk to ya later, Twilight!" and then skipped off to do Celestia knows what.

_Just as well…now I can get this ridiculous-_

"Oh, and Twilight," Pinkie Pie stopped mid-skip and turned with an enigmatic smile at Twilight Sparkle, who had just been about to take off her ten-gallon hat, "I think the Princess should be more concerned about the cougar in the woods."

Twilight Sparkle's eyes enlarged at the word "cougar", also known by other names such as 'puma' and 'mountain lion', but they all registered in her brain as dangerous predators that stalk and ambush their prey.

And even though her brain had registered the message perfectly fine, her mouth couldn't seem to ask anything but, "W-what?"

"Oh, you know the woods around Sweet Apple Acres? Those woods," Pinkie Pie replied nonchalantly, her hoof waving around dismissively.

"No, I-I mean, what?" Twilight Sparkle sputtered but Pinkie Pie had already turned away and resumed her skipping.

"See ya later, Twilight!" she called over her shoulder before she took care to avoid bumping into other ponies, leaving a very confused and very concerned Twilight Sparkle behind to speculate her words.

~The Food Table~

Once Pinkie Pie had finally arrived at her long awaited destination, she gasped and pounded her hooves on the full table inaptly, her gaze flitting left and right from indecision on what to chow down first. And from the corner of her eye, she also noticed a white sign folded on the checkered cloth table that read "Please be considerate of other ponies and do not eat more than your fair share of food. (That means _you_ Pinkie) Thanks."

The Apple family could be so silly sometimes! For as long as there was a party, Pinkie Pie would be there to make sure no good food went to waste.

Speaking of good food…

There were apple pies of every flavor, apple fritters, apple tarts, apple cobbler, apple dumplings, apple cinnamon crisp, apple fries, apple strudel, caramel apples, a big apple brown betty, and there was even bushels of various apples in color coordinated baskets.

Basically, there was everything you could make out of apples that was still edible.

Applejack had really outdone herself this time and Pinkie Pie hadn't even seen the beverages yet.

But just as she was opening her mouth wide enough to be of suitable size for say, that apple brown betty, a shout made her ears twitch back.

"Pinkie Pie! PINKIE PIE! Yoo-hoo!" cried a voice.

Pinkie Pie let her mouth go slack and she did a one hundred and eighty to see whoever called her out, bumping into Carrot Top as she did and ignoring the orange-maned pony's annoyed harrumph afterwards.

"Oh, hi Roseluck," Pinkie Pie said as cheerily as she could when she was just interrupted from snacking. Roseluck, donning a white Stetson, made her way around a mass of ponies to her, and all the while she kept ogling Pinkie Pie's dress. Not that she could blame her; Rarity _had_ made it quite captivating.

"Wow, Pinkie," Roseluck breathed when she was close enough to be heard, "It's really lovely…and you're lovely." She added the last part so genuinely that Pinkie Pie felt her cheeks burn. "Aww, thanks, Roseluck," she said, fluffing her hair teasingly. "I like your hat," she added, feeling it necessary to give a compliment after receiving one.

But Roseluck just kept staring at her as if she hadn't said a word which made Pinkie Pie start to panic over the awkwardness that was swiftly creeping in.

"Soooo," she hedged, hoping Roseluck would get the hint and stop her creepy staring.

She didn't.

Pinkie Pie shifted uneasily-she hadn't realized the extent of power the dress had over other ponies. It would seem to be too much for Roseluck to handle…maybe she should take it off…

As if reading her thoughts, Roseluck suddenly snapped out of her sleepy-eyed leer. "Oh, almost forgot!" she exclaimed as she slapped a hoof to her cheek in self-reproach. She then reached up to pull her Stetson hat down and reveal a single stem rose atop her head.

Pinkie Pie gasped in awe at the _ooh, pretty flower_ that had suddenly appeared amidst Roseluck's mane, "Wow, Roseluck! Did you grow that yourself?"

Roseluck's head lightly bobbed in answer, so as not to disturb the rose too much, and she swelled with pride, "I also went ahead and removed the thorns for you, that way you won't accidentally get pricked."

"For me?" Pinkie Pie's eyes enlarged in wonder and admiration as Roseluck took the stem from its place and held it out for her to take, "Aww, you shouldn't have!"

Despite saying this, Pinkie Pie easily took possession of the flower to sniff it with avidity. Roseluck chuckled at the comical faces Pinkie Pie made doing so and waited for the pink pony to have her fill of sniffs and snuffs of its rosy scent.

"Ah," Pinkie Pie sighed in satisfaction with a dreamy expression, the rose's petals now drooping over from her overwhelming enthusiasm.

But Roseluck wasn't the only one to notice the plant's sudden poor state…

Pinkie Pie gasped, "Oh no! I oversniffed it!" she cried in mortification.

"It's okay, Pinkie; I'm su-" Roseluck wasn't given the chance to finish though as Pinkie Pie went on into a state of hysteria.

"Don't worry, Rosy! I'll save you!" she promised the depressed & limp blossom and then frantically started squirting water from her white clown flower onto it.

This did not happen without consequence, as some sprays of water splashed into Roseluck's face.

"Ahhh!" she cried in surprise from the water whammy.

Pinkie Pie was too busy gazing upon the improved state of her gift flower before she noticed Roseluck's soaking wet and clueless face.

"Oops," she seemed to be saying that a lot lately.

Roseluck shook her short mane out, dislodging droplets of water. "It's okay, Pinkie." She reassured her friend with a sigh.

Pinkie Pie gave a brief tense smile before regarding her gift flower again. "Hmm," she rubbed her chin in thought, "where am I going to put you?"

Roseluck smiled coyly, "Why don't you put it in your hair?" she suggested.

Pinkie Pie was just about to respond when Roseluck's eyes, which had been drawn to Pinkie Pie's coiffure, suddenly caught onto something inconspicuous; inconspicuous, yet glaringly obvious in its displacement.

"Wait…what's that?" Roseluck demanded, gesturing to Pinkie Pie's bouncy hair.

Pinkie Pie blinked at Roseluck in consternation, "What's what?"

Pinkie Pie had tried to straighten her mane for the event, but it had just sprung back up into her naturally chaotic mass of hair immediately afterwards. And so, she had let it be…but maybe she should have tried harder-

"That blue feather in your mane," Roseluck clarified with evident disgust.

And now she was blushing intensely.

"Oh…that." She squeaked, inexplicably feeling guilty. She then tentatively reached a hoof up to touch said feather, to prove to herself that it was actually there and Roseluck wasn't imagining it to torment her.

Despite her wistful thinking though, her hoof did brush against a soft, rumpled feather. Roseluck's glare, however, was not soft and Pinkie Pie met the other mare's eyes timidly, swallowing a lump of shame in her throat.

She should have known better than to wear the feather to the Square Dance Party, but she couldn't help herself. She loved the comforting texture of it and how it carried Rainbow Dash's scent which, if Pinkie Pie were to describe, smelled like spicy morning dew with a hint of minty freshness.

"Well?" Roseluck pressed, waiting for an explanation.

But there was no explanation… not one that hid the truth. And Pinkie Pie really preferred not unveiling the truth, especially when the party was just beginning.

After all, she was supposed to have fun with Roseluck today. She was supposed to laugh with Roseluck today. She was supposed to forget the pony that meant everything to her, because the hidden truth hurt.

And now Roseluck wanted to hear a confession, which would surely ruin everything.

Pinkie Pie sighed mentally in dreadful resignation; she was wrong to think she could pretend everything was okay, even just for this one day, this one party. But now she was done pretending and Roseluck deserved to know the truth. Maybe she'd even have some advice…

"Roseluck, I have a confession to make…"

Roseluck lifted a brow, her expression neutral.

Pinkie Pie, slightly encouraged, continued, "Remember I told you how I used to like Rainbow Dash? Well… after everything that's happened..." Pinkie Pie's voice wavered as she ruminated on precisely 'everything that's happened'; starting with the cougar attack and how scared she'd been…

And then how one of her best friends, Applejack, and her dog, Winona, had managed to direct the cougar away by risking their lives, saving her in the end.

And afterwards, the impact of what had happened had finally sunk in. She realized the whole thing could have been avoided if she hadn't been lamenting over something as silly as a breakup. And so, she put it up to herself to ensure it never happened again. And what perfect timing it was to find Rainbow Dash right after the feline assault…

She had adopted a pointed, cold demeanor towards Rainbow Dash, forcing herself to move on and hoping the pegasus would get the hint to leave her alone and follow her example.

And it had worked…for a while.

But then she'd had a second encounter with the cougar, resulting in her running for her life. And when she'd run out of room to run, she'd fallen off a cliff and just barely prevented herself from tumbling all the way down to her death.

And it was as she was there, in her darkest hour, amid the deep fear clutching her heart, she found herself agonizing over how she would never be able to apologize on account of her strange behavior.

And then it seemed all the more worse when she realized she would also never see Rainbow Dash's smile ever again.

Even more worse though was the thought of how she would never hear Rainbow Dash's voice again, specifically saying her name, be it in irritation or concern-she would miss it all.

Her reflections darkening still, she also realized how she would never again get the chance to feel the ticklish sensation of the pegasus's wings twitching against her forelegs every time she caught her off guard with a surprise hug.

And it had seemed especially cruel that their first kiss would be their last.

Of course, she did also dedicate a moment to herself agonizing over the possibility she wouldn't ever get to eat delicious chocolate cake again. Or really anything served from Sugarcube Corner.

But then she was saved once more. Only this time it wasn't Applejack or Winona. It was Rainbow Dash.

Not good timing…

She was completely vulnerable & terrified from the circumstances and exposed herself to her former-girlfriend/savior through her tears and cries.

And then after that, she'd gotten herself ponynapped by a giant turtle, or so she was told. She didn't exactly remember what had happened. But what she did remember was that she woke up with Rainbow Dash's stricken face hovering nearby.

And she had taken some satisfaction from that; if Rainbow Dash was worried about her, then it meant she at least cared for her a little and that was enough for Pinkie.

But then when she was told the whole story, she felt like bursting with pure joy. Rainbow Dash had saved her? Twice?

It had to have meant something, right?

"And after everything's that's happened…?" Roseluck suddenly sought Pinkie Pie's attention again with an urgent expel of air, her mouth a thin line. Her tapping hoof also transmitted the message that she had been waiting awhile now for Pinkie Pie to finish her sentence.

Pinkie Pie dropped the thornless rose as her face morphed from blissful reverie to disturbed surprise, "Oh, sorry!" she exclaimed guiltily, both for dropping the flower and for zoning out, "Wow, you must think I'm a total ditz now." she murmured abashedly

Roseluck giggled, her mood instantly transformed, "Oh, it's alright. Now…as you were saying?"

Pinkie Pie blinked, "Oh…right."

Roseluck waited some more for Pinkie Pie to shake off her state of musings in anxious anticipation.

"Roseluck, I-" Pinkie Pie suddenly felt like she had just eaten a tub full of peanut butter as she struggled to make words come out.

"Please, call me Rose," Roseluck interjected warmly in an attempt to mollify the pink pony. _This must be something important_, Roseluck reasoned to herself as she braced for Pinkie Pie's confession.

"Rose," for some reason, Pinkie Pie didn't feel comfortable calling her that and it made the imaginary peanut butter in her mouth thicken. But she had to get this out and no amount of, however nonexistent, sticky substance was going to stop her.

Roseluck plastered on a big smile as inspiration but she never would have anticipated what Pinkie Pie said next…

"I…I think I'm in love with Rainbow Dash!" Pinkie Pie finally burst out at an unexpectedly high volume, causing a few passing ponies to turn their way curiously.

Immediately after she'd confessed her sin, Pinkie Pie's eyes started to simultaneously seek out a hiding spot & dodge everypony's stares while Roseluck gaped at her like she'd suddenly sprouted wings

Which would be really convenient to have right now; that way Pinkie Pie could just fly away and never have to answer to Roseluck's look of betrayal and…_wait, was she mad?_

"Pinkie Pie," Roseluck said in a totally _yes-I-am-mad-at-you_ tone of voice, "you aren't in love with Rainbow Dash."

_What?_

"Huh?" Now Pinkie Pie was gaping at her. "What are you, _Cupid_? How do you know what I do or do not feel?"

It was unbeknownst to the two ponies at the time, but they were starting to draw a crowd of ponies who had nothing better to do than eavesdrop.

Roseluck eyebrows knitted over her eyes menacingly, clearly not in the mood for half-hearted jokes… or anything for that matter.

_Why does she look so mad at me?_ Pinkie Pie pondered to herself. _And why does she even care if I love Rainbow Dash or not?_

"You only think you love her, Pinks." Roseluck insisted patiently, still not giving an inkling of why she sounded so trenchant and angry with Pinkie Pie.

At this, Pinkie Pie bristled in outrage, "Okay, you can stop right there, Roseluck. You do not call me Pinks. Only-" she had just been about to say Rainbow Dash but caught herself before she did, "my friends call me that and, right now, you're not being very friendly!"

Roseluck grit her teeth in frustration and ire, "Ugh, did you even hear what I said? You don't love Rainbow Dash and if you would just admit that to yourself then we can go right back to being friendly."

Pinkie Pie still really didn't know understand why Roseluck was all the sudden being so…controlling.

_And ruuuude._

Honestly, she had just gathered up the courage to confide in her (though, now that she thought about it, she kinda wished she'd done it somewhere more private) and now Nasty Roseluck was calling her a liar!

Well, implying that she was a liar…but still!

Pinkie Pie had figured she'd set the other mare straight as she infused her voice with sarcasm saying, "I got a better idea, Roseluck; why don't you kiss my big, pink-"

But she didn't get to complete her insulting suggestion as that was the moment Roseluck decided to brusquely lean over and violently smash her mouth against her own, making Pinkie Pie's whole body freeze up in shock and the surrounding group of witnesses to gasp at the sudden turn of events; some even watched on in unrestrained delight at the public display of unshared affection and others turned away in appalled disgust.

Of course, Pinkie Pie hadn't expected Roseluck to interrupt her, much less take the crude expression she'd been about to finish so seriously.

But the most unexpected thing that Pinkie Pie did not expect in that moment was what happened next.

Off in the not-so-distant distance, hooves were suddenly stomping on the now empty wooden dance floor to a beat nopony understood yet, a drumset was being, well, drummed, and an outburst of bass accompanied with an electric guitar caused everypony in the gaping crowd to turn and gape some more at this ruckus that deeply contrasted with the hoedown's earlier music.

And then…

"Hey, hey! You, you!"

Roseluck finally broke the forced kiss to see where the source of the clopping, drumming, strumming, and now singing were coming from, while also feeling as if she were caught committing a major offense and that the impromptu singer was making a point in publicly incriminating her-though that feeling might have had something to do with only how furious the lyrics had sounded.

And once Pinkie Pie's lips were released, she retched in the most obvious manner of expressing the message _oh-I-did-not-enjoy-that-kiss-at-all_.

But she too was quite curious as to what the "boom, clop, boom, de clop de clop" tune was all about that had sneakily segued from the original hoedown number; was it some new live song Applejack's brought to the dance floor?

It certainly wasn't from the same genre as the fiddle ditty and, when she finally started to pick up on the singing, she felt her ears prick at the familiar voice.

_Can't be..._

She turned her head to the platform Applejack and the fiddler were playing on earlier to confirm that, yes, Rainbow Dash had somehow gotten her hooves on a snazzy, red guitar, to which Pinkie Pie could only describe as having two pointed ends like a pitchfork, and was now slamming on it as she head banged and then said, _no_, sang, "I don't like your girlfriend! No way, no way-I think you need a new one."

And even through all her initial befuddled shock, Pinkie Pie was pretty sure Rainbow Dash was looking straight at her as she sang that last line.

_What is going on here? Am I dreaming again?_

…

_Since when can Rainbow Dash play guitar?_

All these questions whirled in her head in time to the catchy beat of the song that was making the whole place vibrate with thumps and she found herself lowering her skirted rump to watch the performance from a sit.

Although Pinkie Pie had no other reason, or desire, to observe anypony besides Rainbow Dash on the makeshift stage, she did notice the pegasus's entourage of musicians and back-up singers.

Albeit she didn't recognize them.

There were a total of three back-up singers, all pegasi, who were crooning into their individual microphone stands and repeating little phrases Rainbow Dash sang to give off the impression that they had way more meaning behind them then they actually did. But the effect, overall, surprisingly did make the performance seem stronger.

Then there was a male earth pony, with a pale green coat and a bushy orange crop of hair atop his head, making all the drumbeats with his drumsticks, his face downcast as he focused on his exigent work.

There was even another pale green female earth pony with the same hue of orange in her thick, unkempt mane as the drummer; giving off the impression that they were potential siblings. But this pony was attending to a different instrument; shouldering a black guitar with a strap and plunking it with such intensity Pinkie Pie feared their hoof would come flying off.

Pinkie Pie also noted that this guitar had a cord attached that traced back to a black box, but Pinkie Pie wasn't very knowledgeable in the inner workings of guitarists and their thingamajigs so her eyes slide past it without a second thought as to what it was or did and instead wandered to the sidelines where a different pair of siblings were the cause of all the stomping.

It was Applejack and Big McIntosh, clopping their front hooves heavily on the wooden dance floor, even in the absence of Rainbow Dash's singing, and keeping up a steady rhythm & beat.

_Ooookaaay, what is going on-_

"Hey, hey, you, you!" Pinkie Pie jerked back to attention at the commanding shout, her eyes automatically fixing on Rainbow Dash whose rosy eyes were darkened with mascara and were already, startlingly, fixed on her.

But she couldn't believe that trill had come from Rainbow Dash until she said, _no_, sang again, (she had a funny feeling she would probably have to keep reminding herself this), this time singing:

"I could be your girlfriend," with a suggestive wink which Pinkie Pie was totally unprepared for and spurred the thought that Rainbow Dash really shouldn't go winking suggestively like, ever, cause Pinkie Pie was sure it would, however unintentional, break the hearts of any oblivious onlookers with forlorn longing.

Well, it was just a thought…

And then she was singing, "Hey, hey, you, you, I know that you like me!" and, _holy saucy ravioli_, Pinkie Pie was positive that, without a doubt, Rainbow Dash had just heard her thought and it made her feel more vulnerable than she had on that fateful day at the cliff.

_Stupid sexy Rainbow Dash._

And then the back-up singers cried "No way, no way!" in mock shock and Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes saying, _singing_, "You know it's not a secret."

And then it was "Hey, hey, you, you, I want to be your girlfriend!" all over again with Rainbow Dash clearly pointing her hoof in Pinkie Pie's direction, which in turn made Roseluck snap her head back to stare at the pink pony accusingly.

Pinkie Pie displayed her best "What? I didn't tell Rainbow Dash to try and win me over with a song" face, though she truly thought she'd never have to use that one.

And she wasn't sure how she thought about it either.

And then, on stage, Rainbow Dash suddenly decided to forcibly hammer her red guitar down onto the floor with splinters flying, earning a chorus of shocked gasps from the crowd, including Pinkie Pie's exaggeratedly prolonged one, and then smirking at their reactions.

Oddly enough, the musicians that were still onstage continued uninterrupted, as if it was only to be expected of Rainbow Dash to destroy her instrument in such a dramatic fashion. In fact, the music didn't even seem to have lost any harmony, almost as if…

Almost as if Rainbow Dash was never actually playing the guitar in the first place.

After that shtick of violence, the aforementioned pony gracefully leaped down from the stage; making the audience instantly part for her admittance as if she were Princess Celestia in a red bandana and then letting her saunter on down the aisle of gawking ponies.

It would seem the audience had caught onto rockstar Rainbow Dash's intentions fairly quickly because they all edged away from Pinkie Pie and Roseluck so that she was permitted a good view of them as she made her way toward them.

And all through this, Rainbow Dash continued singing as if it were as natural as breathing and was merely upholding a casual conversation, in fact sometimes Pinkie Pie couldn't tell whether Rainbow Dash was actually singing versus talking in the naturally scratchy voice she adored, "Yeah, I think you're fine, and I'm here to make you mine. So, whaddya say? Let's fly away!"

Surely, this was all some kind of deliberate, sick joke…

And if it was, it most definitely served its purpose because Pinkie Pie was sure her face was all kinds of funny; hey, even she wanted to know what it looked like!

And Roseluck-_oh my gosh, Roseluck_. _How is she taking all of th-?_

"'Cause I'm here to let you know, I wanna be your very own rainbow."

_That did not just happen._

Pinkie Pie felt her knees lock in denial of this new development- or maybe it was trepidation; she hadn't bother to analyze her feelings thoroughly.

Because of that one little verse, the memories of the old days came flooding in full colors & surround sound when she and Rainbow Dash used to date.

Specifically, she was recalling the time she had remarked how her former girlfriend was like her "very own rainbow", which had made the pegasus back then gag in distaste and prompted her to saying that she much preferred being called "Dashie", if anything at all. And so, Pinkie Pie kept it to herself, never mentioning it again.

And now she was bringing it up in a SONG?

She just couldn't believe it. She couldn't believe Rainbow Dash would go to such lengths to carry out such an elaborate prank, or whatever this was, and she even started to anguish in sardonic thoughts of her backstabbing former best friends, Rarity, Twilight Sparkle, and Fluttershy giggling behind an apple barrel somewhere while this all took place.

She had understood and eventually accepted that Rainbow Dash didn't return her affections but why did she have to go and defile the best months of her life by exploiting something she had shared with her privately?

She felt like running away in humiliation but at the same time she couldn't turn away because she was so transfixed on this surreal scenario that she, not even in her wildest dreams, would have envisioned.

Well…maybe she would have…but she certainly wouldn't have imagined it ever coming true, even if her dreams had been playing out as foreshadows lately.

And then, without her realizing it until it was too late, Rainbow Dash was upon her in all her awesome glory, wearing a one hundred watt smile to boot, too.

And then, that sly little sneak, smoothly transitioned to sashaying around her, mimicking the procedures of a square dance in an arch manner. Except it was Rainbow Dash doing it so it was nothing like how they did it on the floor.

And it was so much better for that.

And while Rainbow Dash flaunted her swagger, or whatever it was that made Pinkie Pie's breathing ragged, the party pony vaguely conceived that they were, at the moment, the cynosure of the whole Square Dance Party and it was with resolute determination that she decided then that she would not give the others the satisfaction in knowing that she was falling apart inside.

In order to accomplish this, she yielded to humoring herself with assuring thoughts that Rainbow Dash was singing in earnest and meant every single word she sang and every step she danced.

And so, with these fantasies motivating her, she counterbalanced their evil scheme with exaggerated joy and coy smiles galore in order to hide the pain and devastation she knew would wreck her later. But for now, she would pretend that this wasn't pretend.

She even started to nod her head with the beat and sway side to side, with occasional accidentally-on-purpose bumps inflicted on Rainbow Dash's side.

And then, seemingly pleased with Pinkie Pie's positive reaction rather than disappointed, Rainbow Dash kept playing her malign game by uttering the following lines with the utmost confidence and assurance "I can tell you like me too and you know I'm right,"

For some reason, the back-up singers found that particular utterance worthy of repeat as they murmured "I'm right, I'm right, I'm right,"

And then Rainbow Dash was suddenly not by her side anymore as she swooped off to sling a foreleg around Roseluck's shoulders like they were good ole chums, though what she said, _sang_, next proved otherwise, "'Cause she's like, so whatever," Rainbow Dash further pronounced her degrading declaration to be on poor Roseluck's behalf by jabbing a hoof in front of the startled earth pony's face.

And so, with that affirmed, she shot away from a now seething Roseluck to claim her spot by Pinkie Pie's side again with a mischievous grin. Meanwhile, Pinkie Pie struggled to retain a happy, carefree facade.

"And you could do,

So much better,"

_Waaaaait a second, Dashie thinks me and-?_

Pinkie Pie's train of thought was then promptly dashed when Rainbow Dash thrust herself in her view with a simper, "I think we should get together now,"

Hypnotized by those accented rose-colored orbs, Pinkie Pie's eyes followed Rainbow Dash's as her prismatic head inclined toward their surroundings, "And that's what everypony's talkin' 'bout!"

Pinkie Pie's eyes now regarded their audience, who were either looking on while bearing intrigued countenances or gossiping to each other in inconspicuous whispers.

"Hey, hey, you, you!"

_Wha-I only looked away for one second!_

"I don't like your girlfriend," Rainbow Dash indicated Roseluck again with a dismissive hoof and then used it to gag in disgust.

"No way, no way," There were those back-up singers chiming in again.

"I think you need a new one," Rainbow Dash advised via her singing.

_But I don't have a girlfriend, Dashie!_-was what she wanted to scream, but she had to remind herself that everything Rainbow Dash sang was all a ploy, a lie, an attempt at provocation.

"Hey, hey, you, you- I could be your girlfriend!" Rainbow Dash suddenly abandoned her respected position on the ground, flaring out her wingspan to fly up like a bullet- precisely at the guitar's solo- causing Pinkie Pie's mane to flutter in the aftermath of her capricious takeoff.

Once her mane had flopped back into its normal hairdo, she searched the sky for where Rainbow Dash had flown.

"Hey, hey, you, you," Suddenly, somepony poked her from behind and she squeaked in surprise, turning to see, you guessed it, Rainbow Dash.

It was quite unnerving to know that Rainbow Dash could surprise her-that was usually her job and she would have greatly appreciated having their roles switched back.

"I know that you like me," Rainbow Dash boasted with another one of those heart-stuttering, belying winks and Pinkie Pie turned her head away before the blood colonizing in her cheeks could betray what she thought of the gesture.

"No way, no way," the back-up singers tried to discourage Rainbow Dash's advances, or at least, that's what Pinkie Pie hoped they were doing because she could suddenly very easily picture throwing herself into Rainbow Dash with amoral intentions. And that could NOT happen. No, she must banish the thought completely. Forever.

"You know it's not a secret," Rainbow Dash taunted knowingly.

_That is soooo unfair._

"Hey, hey, you, you, I want to be your girlfriend," Rainbow Dash sang for the second time but Pinkie Pie still didn't believe it. No, she had to face the real music; that this was all just a ruse and she wasn't Rainbow Dash's muse, no matter how convincing Rainbow Dash's smiles and words were to her eyes and ears.

But for now, Pinkie Pie stared at her unabashedly, wondering what other nonsense would come out of her mouth next.

Apparently Rainbow Dash noticed her staring and a smirk played out on her lips, "I can see the way, I see the way you look at me," she said in an _I-see-all_ way and Pinkie Pie felt her left eye twitch before swiftly turning her face away. Had she been too obvious?

"And even when you look away, I know you think of me," she continued.

Okay, so maybe faking smiles wasn't such a bright idea…it seemed to have only fueled Rainbow Dash's ego.

"I know you talk about me all the time again and again," she added, her tantalizing smirk deepening.

The back-up singers seized this opportunity to coo into their microphones again, "Again, again,"

"So come over here and tell me what I wanna hear," she suggested enticingly, with a curled hoof around her ear before dropping it dramatically, "better yet, make your girlfriend disappear!" her rosy eyes flipped over to Pinkie Pie's supposed girlfriend now, who looked as distraught as ever.

Then Rainbow Dash trained her eyes back on Pinkie's as she steered her razzmatazz towards the pink party planner, "I don't wanna hear you say her name ever again, and again and again and again,"

At eye contact, Pinkie Pie's heart started doing jumping jacks in her chest again and she started to back away-only to bump into a wall of ponies, preventing her escape.

Rainbow Dash took Pinkie's retreat as a way of asking, "Why?" and so proceeded to explain her thought process of why Roseluck was such an atrocious girlfriend in song. _Again…_

"'Cause she's like so whatever and you could do so much better," Rainbow Dash rationalized, "I think-"

Pinkie Pie knew where this particular verse was headed so she was quick to butt in with a "And I think you should STOP SINGING!"

The outburst did the trick; Rainbow Dash's mouth clamped shut, looking as if she'd been slapped in the face, the music skipped the decrescendo and instead came to an abrupt halt, while the rest of the ponies encircling them looked just as shocked as Rainbow Dash, although certainly a little more detached.

Pinkie Pie hadn't meant to strain her voice as much as she had and couldn't stop herself from breathing heavily afterwards; but with everypony's eyes honed in on her, she knew she had to explain herself, quick, "I-I can't take it anymore; you've got me going bonkers over here… But I guess that's why you're doing all this, isn't it?"

She was met with bewildered expressions of all kinds of colors on the faces of the overlooking crowd; even Rainbow Dash didn't seem to know what to think.

Then, somewhere in the back, she heard Applejack say, "…Ah told ya ta write a sappy ballad about the color of her eyes or some other hooey. But ya just had ta-"

"Not now, AJ." It was as sharp of a reproach as if Rainbow Dash had told Applejack to shut her pie hole and it was effective enough to have her do just that.

But their little repartee had already discombobulated Pinkie Pie, "Wait…but…this is all a prank…isn't it?"

Rainbow Dash stared at her as if she'd spoken in Applenese, "You-you think this was all a…a prank?"

Pinkie Pie's head bowed down, "Well, yeah! I mean, that's the only way any of this makes sense." She found it odd that she, Pinkie Pie, of all ponies was talking about things making sense but somepony had to do it.

But Rainbow Dash didn't seem to hear her, "She thinks this was all a prank…a _prank_…" she started muttering, a faraway look in her eyes.

"Dashie?"

Pinkie Pie might as well have jolted her awake with shock pads for the reaction she got, "Yes! Yes, this was all just a prank." Rainbow Dash reassured her urgently, desperate for an escape.

_An escape…but from what? The crowd? From her? Who-_

"Seriously?" Roseluck demanded just as Applejack said "Rainbow Dash, be honest now."

Ignoring Roseluck, Rainbow Dash turned around and stared through the crowd of ponies, who were all still engrossed in the soap opera taking place before them, mainly directing her words to Applejack who was still onstage, "It was all just a prank, alright? That's all it was..." she reaffirmed the situation for the ponies still looking on with questioning eyes.

"But-"

"No buts, AJ!"

A sigh. "Shoot, Rainbow. Ah thought ya-"

"What kind of pony plays a prank like that? You see, Pinks-you see how she really is? She was just playing with your feelings this whole time!" Roseluck interjected, suddenly pleased with the past affairs as she discovered a way to turn it in her favor.

A fresh batch of heated whispers overtook the crowd as they shared their thoughts on the scandal Roseluck had just claimed.

But once Applejack realized that Rainbow Dash was just going to take it, she jumped to her defense in the only way she knew how: through honesty. "If ya won't tell her, RD, ah will."

"Tell what?" Pinkie Pie cried, frantic for an answer, that didn't include Rainbow Dash intentionally tricking her, in this whole mess.

"That she-"

"That I want to be your GF!" Rainbow Dash suddenly yelled; tears now visible in the corners of her rose-colored eyes. "I mean, that's what the whole stupid song was about, right? It couldn't be more obvious! I made it so simple…it wasn't supposed to be complicated…you weren't supposed to read between the lines; I just wanted you to stop ki-dating Roseluck and date me instead! Is that so hard to understand? Is it?"

There was no doubt about it that everypony's eyes were now on Rainbow Dash's shaking frame, along with her swimming eyes, smeared mascara, and her clenched jaw.

But then suddenly, the source of this pegasus's misery spurt out a very inappropriate laugh, her pink head titled back to show off her grin, and everypony's eyes fixed on her instead.

"…and…and…and now…you're laughing." Rainbow Dash muttered the obvious, her head dropping down to hide her shame.

"Hehe! Oh, I'm sorry, Dashie. Its just-hehehaha*snort*-you thought I was dating Roseluck?" Pinkie Pie gasped out, her face incredulous.

"Well…yes…you are!" Rainbow Dash's head turned up now, confusion warring with relief. "Aren't you?"

"Nopey dopey!" Pinkie Pie grinned.

It was silent.

Unless you count the concerned stage whisper "We're still getting paid, right?" that everypony ignored.

Rainbow Dash blinked "Then…then…then why…?" she sputtered,

Applejack was quick to voice Rainbow Dash's question in her own words so the poor mare could take a breather, "Ya know ah usually don't operate on assumptions but considerin' the fact ya two were suckin' face a while ago ah reckon it's safe to assume ya'll had a thing goin' on."

"Yeah!" Rainbow Dash agreed; her face flushed.

"Ooooh, yeah, I can see how that might be flummoxing," Pinkie Pie consented with a nod and then looked over at Roseluck darkly; "buuuut… the feeling wasn't mutual."

Roseluck winced as if Pinkie had struck her and then glanced away, her mouth line quivering like a worm snagged on a hook.

Rainbow Dash gave her head a good shake, "Wait, lemme get this straight. So, you _aren't_ dating Roseluck?"

Pinkie Pie nodded slowly, _yes, and the sky is blue, young grasshopper._

"And you don't like her?"

Pinkie Pie sighed, "Yes, Dashie; me and Roseluck are just good friends. Or," her eyebrows scrunched low, "were good friends."

"Oh…phew…well…okay…uh…so …does that mean…do ya…ya know… wanna try…_that_ again?" Rainbow Dash spoke in anxious fragments, not quite meeting Pinkie Pie's eyes.

"For realsies?" Pinkie Pie gasped, the only one who understood what Rainbow Dash was implying while everypony else looked on in confusion.

"Yeah…for realsies." Rainbow Dash couldn't stop the smile from settling on her face as she spoke Pinkie Pie's choice of words. And then…

_Thoomp!_

"Pinkie…?" And then Rainbow Dash was left wondering where she'd gone wrong as she stared at Pinkie Pie's now prostrate body.

It was silent again.

"Did she just gone an' faint?" Applejack finally wondered aloud.

"Uh...looks like it." And it wouldn't be the first time. "Heh, I guess I just have that effect on mares." She tried to make a joke of it to ease the crowd's alarmed stares.

Applejack rolled her eyes as she descended the elevated platform, "Alright, folks; show's over. Ya'll go back to havin' a good time now an' be sure to buy yourself some of our appletastic treats."

The crowd lingered for a few spare moments, just in case Rainbow Dash decided to randomly break into song again, but eventually subsided until only Roseluck remained.

"Is she…going to be okay?" Roseluck asked, tentatively concerned.

"Yeah…just a little disoriented when she wakes up," Rainbow Dash answered as she positioned herself in a way that she could slink Pinkie Pie's lying form onto her back; she was also trying very hard not to think about who she was talking to.

Roseluck bit her lip and then sighed, a single tear trailing down her cheek as she said her next words, "Take good care of her, Rainbow Dash. I…I'm sorry it had to come to this." And, once she'd said her piece, Roseluck turned away to disappear into the mob of ponies.

Rainbow Dash felt a burst of sympathy for Roseluck and almost considered going after her; she had, after all, put Roseluck on the spot during her performance…okay, scratch that, she totally dissed her without a second thought.

_But…Pinkie._

Rainbow Dash decided she'd do something about it later and instead focused on hoisting Pinkie Pie up on her back-without ruining her dress.

Once she'd finally managed to do this, she took a few minutes to get her wings comfortable with the added load while also being careful not to wake Pinkie Pie as she shifted beneath her.

And, as it turns out, walking with a pony on your back did tend to draw attention and ponies resumed whispering amongst themselves when she bypassed them.

But Rainbow Dash ignored it; besides, it's not like everything they said wasn't true. She was the mare who'd sang in "that rockin' concert", _thank you_, she was the mare who "slammed that poor filly to smithereens", as it were, and she was the mare who was "hopelessly in love with that pink pony."

* * *

><p>Yes, it's all true.<p>

Pinkie Pie woke up in a bed that wasn't her own.

She could tell from the cotton sheets that she now lay beneath and from the lack of springs infested in the mattress that this was most definitely not her bed.

She leaped up, as if the bed were full of spiders, and frantically looked all around, briefly grimacing from the wave of dizziness as she did so.

_Oh._

This was definitely Applejack's room.

Pinkie Pie calmed down somewhat, her hooves clopping on the wooden planks as she took a gander at her friend's dimly lit room.

She'd never been in Applejack's bedroom before and she supposed it wasn't a far cry from what she'd have pictured of it.

Okay…maybe she had pictured more apples…

There was Applejack's rope slung over a nail beside the bed and a random hook beside that too-she guessed the hook must be where Applejack hung her Stetson for the night. There was also a night table, a pink cushion for Winona, and a framed picture of a random prancing pony above the wooden headboard of the bed. Then there were the apple ensigns on the door, the wall above the door, the hoofboard of the bed, and all over the pillows.

Besides that, there wasn't anything particular that stuck out to her. But Pinkie Pie figured that Applejack was too busy working the farm to accommodate her room and make it stand out.

_I have GOT to get her a lava lamp for her next birthday; that green ceramic lamp is just way too boring._

Because Pinkie Pie's mind roamed over all the possible ways to give Applejack's room a makeover, she didn't hear the door creak open and something crash onto the floor.

"You're awake!"

Her eyes widened and she whirled to see a very happy Rainbow Dash at the threshold.

Pinkie Pie automatically smiled, "Hi-"

And was then promptly tackled to the floor by a streak of rainbow.

Pinkie Pie opened her eyes to see Rainbow Dash's beaming face, "Wow that was fast! You were only out for like fifteen minutes." Rainbow Dash remarked from above her.

In response, Pinkie Pie just grinned and Rainbow Dash's eyes suddenly glowed with an enigmatic emotion. "Just kidding, fifteen minutes is _way_ too long."

Pinkie Pie giggled as Rainbow Dash then proceeded to lean down and nuzzle her cheek, "Dashie! What are you doing?"

At this, Rainbow Dash hastily leaned back to look at Pinkie Pie again, confused, "I-I-I thought…aren't we…?"

Pinkie Pie blinked, just as confused. "Thought what?"

Rainbow Dash stared at her for a couple more confused seconds and then looked off to the side, suddenly looking very sad, "You don't remember what happened…do you, Pinkie?"

Pinkie Pie's eyes widened, "Remember what?"

Rainbow Dash slid off Pinkie Pie to let her sit up, "The Square Dance Party!" Rainbow Dash spread her forelegs out to represent how big of a deal this was to her but when Pinkie Pie still stared at her quizzically she made one last desperate attempt, "The song? …please don't make me have to sing the song again…"

"What song?" Pinkie Pie asked, batting her eyelashes innocently.

Rainbow Dash groaned, "You're gonna make me sing it again, aren't you?"

Pinkie Pie waited.

"Okay…" a sigh "okay…um…hey, hey, you, you," she halfheartedly gestured at Pinkie as she mumbled the lyrics awkwardly, "I don't like your girlfriend…no way, no way…I think you need a new one…hey, hey, you, you-"

"I'd like to be your girlfriend!" Pinkie Pie finished for her in much higher spirits before eagerly leaping into the pegasus's forelegs, inevitably bringing them both down on the wooden boards again with her dress billowed out like a balloon.

Rainbow Dash stared up at her, "You- you remember?" she asked, apparently unfazed with the fact that she was now the one being pinned down by Pinkie Pie.

"Of course I remember! It only happened like fifteen minutes ago," Pinkie Pie said, rolling her eyes.

"Wait, you mean you remembered this whole time? Then why did you-"

"Just having a little fun," Pinkie Pie flicked Rainbow Dash in the nose with her free hoof playfully, "annnd…I wanted to hear you say it again, while we were alone." Pinkie Pie admitted.

Rainbow Dash waited for a heat wave of anger to hit her but it never did. She wasn't angry; maybe a little flustered, but not angry.

Another sigh, "Ah, Pinks."

Another giggle, "Awwwh, Dashie."

Rainbow Dash felt a grin tug at the corners of her mouth and Pinkie Pie's smile softened.

But as Pinkie Pie's head loomed closer, something suddenly caught her eye.

"W-w-wait, what's that?" Rainbow Dash asked, gesturing at something in Pinkie Pie's mane.

Seeming to already know what Rainbow Dash had indicated with her hoof, Pinkie Pie automatically lifted her foreleg up to reach for it, taking out a familiar cyan colored feather and bringing it to their eye level. She said nothing, letting Rainbow Dash drink it in while her mouth twisted from indecision on whether to frown or not.

"Its…its mine…it's my feather…but…h-how…?" Rainbow Dash looked up at Pinkie Pie calmly, her eyes bright and inquisitive.

Pinkie Pie sighed, "You left it behind after you saved me…" her eyes shined with the memory, "the first time." she added for further clarification.

Rainbow Dash stared at the feather again.

"But…why did you keep it?" she wanted to know.

"Because…it reminded me of you and…I missed you." Pinkie Pie confessed, shrinking into herself from embarrassment.

Rainbow Dash smiled, chuckling lightly, "And all this time I had thought you had hated me."

Pinkie Pie gasped melodramatically, "Never!"

Her face then grew serious and she smiled sadly, cradling the feather against her dress protectively, "I could never hate you, Dashie. I just…didn't know what else to do. You had told me you didn't see me like I saw you so…I just pushed you away."

Rainbow Dash made a sad smile of her own, looking down at herself to avoid eye contact, "Yeah…it's my fault, really. I was just so scared of what everypony else would think. I even tried to actually make myself hate you but…well, it didn't work… and you had Roseluck so I couldn't very well tell you how I felt after we'd broken up. I mean, I know now that you weren't actually ever dating but it was really confusing at the time and well…you know how it goes."

Pinkie Pie nodded, looking down at the feather longingly.

Rainbow Dash finally lifted her eyes to see the pitiful picture and took the liberty of reaching up and gently taking the feather away.

At this, Pinkie Pie's hoof went slack, letting the feather go without a fight.

Rainbow Dash gave a slight smile before lifting Pinkie Pie's chin up with her free hoof.

Pinkie Pie looked up numbly, her eyes shimmering shamefully.

Rainbow Dash then carefully placed the feather back in Pinkie Pie's mane, her hoof lingering on her fluffy hair before eventually dropping to her side. "It was always yours," she said simply.

Pinkie Pie gaped at her for a while, absently touching the feather with her left foreleg before grinning toothily.

Rainbow Dash's heart soared, knowing she was the reason behind her smile.

"Hey, Rainbow, how's-what in tarnation?"

_Horseapples._

Rainbow Dash's blood rose to her cheeks and Pinkie Pie's head snapped back up in surprise.

They both looked over to see that Applejack was at the threshold, her foreleg hanging in midair from indecision on whether it was safe to walk in or not, as she gazed down at… an abandoned tray spilling out sticky caramel candy apples and apple pie crusts with their fillings lay bare for everypony to see.

…_Oops._

After surveying the wreckage long enough, Applejack looked up with her freckled face set hard for interrogating the suspects.

Until she realized the suspects were an entwined Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie.

And then, before Rainbow Dash could explain the situation, Pinkie Pie had already disentangled her dress & limbs and was now sitting on her rump off to the side, looking over at Applejack like a puppy that'd been caught eating straight from the trash can.

Meanwhile, Applejack stood gaping, the messy litter Rainbow Dash had dropped residing on the floor completely forgotten, "Okay, now just what do ya two think y'all are doin'-in my bedroom?" Applejack demanded, and then she turned to Rainbow Dash who still lied on the cold floorboards, "Rainbow, ah said Pinkie could get some shut eye in here an' that's _all_ ah meant by it."

Rainbow Dash sputtered, "But-but it wasn't like that!"

Applejack nodded knowingly, "Sure it wasn't." she answered.

At this, Rainbow Dash looked down, wishing she could sink through the floor by sheer force of will.

Applejack sighed before turning to Pinkie, "Well, it's at least good to see ya awake, sugarcube."

Pinkie Pie demeanor suddenly changed to glee once Applejack acknowledged her presence and she bounced in place, "Applejack, guess what! Rainbow Dash and I are girlfriends," she blabbed, as giddy as a school filly who'd just acquired their first boyfriend…err...girlfriend.

"Mmmmhmm," Applejack drawled with no change in expression.

Rainbow Dash laughed tightly, "Heh…yeah, well thanks for checking up on us, AJ, but I think we'll be going now." she said, grabbing Pinkie Pie and steering them towards the door.

"Woah there, featherduster, y'all ain't goin' anywhere just yet." Applejack said sternly, blocking their only exit and pointing back inside her bedroom, specifically at the spoiled foods. _Now march._

Rainbow Dash sighed, releasing her hold on Pinkie's shoulders to make a U-turn; she had hoped the farm pony would cut them some slack.

"Alright, alright, I'm on it." Rainbow Dash griped, reaching for the broom standing all by its lonesome in the corner.

Applejack smiled, pleased with Rainbow Dash for taking immediate action with little complaint, "Great, ah'll see ya'll outside then once y'all are done here; an' no more funny business, okay?"

Having already dislodged the broom, Rainbow Dash made a frown at Applejack's last order of business, "I already told you it wasn't like that."

Applejack nodded again, amused, "Ah know…" then she finally seemed to notice Rainbow Dash was holding a broom. "Now just what are ya plannin' on doin' wit' that broom?"

Rainbow Dash flushed, "I'm going to clean up the mess; isn't that what you _wanted _me to do?"

Applejack slowly shook her head, "Ho, boy. Pinkie Pie, would ya mind teachin' Rainbow Dash the ancient art of the broom?" and then, without waiting for an answer, turned around and left the room.

After she'd left, Rainbow Dash let the boom slip from her hooves, huffing, "Does she expect me to summon a tornado in here just to vacuum?" before glancing over at Pinkie Pie.

Who was, of all things, reading a stray, wrinkled paper.

Rainbow Dash's heart rate quickened with recognition, "Pinkie, what is that?" Rainbow Dash tried asking as nonchalantly as she could while giving an askance look and experiencing a sinking feeling in her stomach.

"I found it under the bed," she replied instead, not looking up from the apparently very compelling piece of paper.

Rainbow Dash started to panic; the suspicion in her head were looking more and more promising, "Pinkie, what is it?"

Pinkie Pie finally pulled her eyes away from her reading, her countenance adorably confused as she looked up. "It's disgusting."

With her suspicion confirmed, Rainbow Dash had intended to race on over there and cover up the repulsive paper for damage control but she instead felt herself sway and take one unsteady step forward.

How was she going to explain this one?

Pinkie Pie looked down at the paper again and began to read aloud impassively, "'It's disgusting, how I love you, I can't take it, I should hate you.'"

"Stop it." Rainbow Dash muttered.

Heedless, Pinkie Pie continued, albeit a little more shakily, "'Cause you're messing up my name, gotta walk my talk my fame, but I just wanna touch your face, it's disgusting.'"

"Please, Pinkie…" Rainbow Dash tried again, louder this time.

And still Pinkie Pie kept on, even as her voice started to break, "'It's disgusting, how you changed me, from a bandit to a b-baby, I think I'm gonna have to change my name, if I'm gonna walk this walk of s-s-shame. Look at what you do to me…'"

Rainbow Dash closed her eyes, struggling to remember a time when she didn't feel this ashamed and humiliated.

"'It's disgusting.'" Pinkie Pie finished softly, the words hanging in the air with finality.

Rainbow Dash opened her eyes to see that Pinkie Pie's countenance was now heartbreakingly confused and staring earnestly at her.

"Pinkie Pie…I…" Rainbow Dash still didn't know how to explain and her throat closing up wasn't exactly helpful.

"Do you really think I'm disgusting, Dashie?" Pinkie Pie asked, her eyes begging to be told otherwise.

Rainbow Dash, finally obtaining the ability to speak again, was quick to reassure her, "N-no…gah…no. That was just the other song I had written…uh…I was hoping you wouldn't ever have to see it."

And then Pinkie Pie opened her mouth but Rainbow Dash rambled on, "But…uh…it didn't pass Applejack's approval because I'm not really good at expressing my feelings and well uh 'round the time I had written that I was still confused about them and so that was the result. But by now I've realized that what we have is really awesome and I don't care what anypony else thinks anymore because you're really pretty and funny and fun and… I'm _sorry_." Rainbow Dash hunched over, as if she were expecting a severe whipping.

Pinkie Pie blinked quizzically, her eyes ping-ponging between the paper and Rainbow Dash's submissive posture, "Oh…well you didn't have to get into all that, Dashie." She laughed awkwardly, "I just wanted to know if you actually thought I was all icky-sticky because if you did then it would be really hard to kiss you and that would be terrible."

Rainbow Dash blinked, "You're not icky-sticky." she finally said hoarsely.

"Yay!" Pinkie Pie cheered and all was forgiven as she tossed the paper and let it flutter back under the bed where Rainbow Dash resolved she would find it later and let it burn.

"Now put that broom away and let's get all this cleaned up!" Pinkie Pie commanded, bouncing towards the pile of discarded food.

Rainbow Dash looked at the broom sulkily, "Why can't we use the broom?"

"Because brooms are for sweeping and you can't sweep caramel apples and pies or it will get even messier!" Pinkie Pie explained; bubbly as ever.

When Rainbow Dash just continued staring, Pinkie Pie whispered to reassure her, "Don't feel bad, I work at Sugarcube Corner so I have to know these things!"

Rainbow Dash groaned, "Then what do we use? We're gonna miss the rest of the party!"

Pinkie Pie's bubbly exterior sobered, "Oh, no! We can't miss the party!" she cried in distress and then frantically looked around the room for the solution before eventually shrugging and scooping up all of the food causalities with her bare hooves and gulping it all down in one swallow, "Done!" she managed through a mouthful.

Rainbow Dash stared at her, her eyes mere pinpricks as she tried to comprehend that the sullied apple based fare that had been there one second ago was now gone and consumed. "Uh…okay, now _that_ is disgusting."

Pinkie Pie merely giggled, taking no more offense, "C'mon, Dashie! It isn't a party without Pinkie!" and suddenly Rainbow Dash was off the floor and outside the door in a blur of pink.

Rainbow Dash blinked, allowing her brain time to adjust to their new surroundings.

They were outside.

Rainbow Dash shook her head in amazement, "How do you do it, Pinks?" she murmured, not expecting an answer.

Conforming to Rainbow Dash's expectations, Pinkie Pie practically shook with excitement as she instead began a stream of childish prattle, "Oh, I can't wait to tell the others that we're dating; even though we've dated before. But now everypony is going to KNOW and it's going to be so much better now that we don't have to be all secretive about it. I mean, being all secretive can be fun some times, but more times it can get really hard to keep it to myself and there was this one time I almost-"

Rainbow Dash suddenly placed her hoof over Pinkie Pie's hyperactive mouth, offering a soft smile, "I know. And we will. But first I want to-"

"Rainbow Dash!" And then there was Scootaloo.

Rainbow Dash sighed.

Scootaloo came to a standstill in front of them, her chest rising and falling rapidly in exhaustion, "I've been looking everywhere for you; I mean, I was starting to think you'd already left. Anyway, you gotta come quick!" Scootaloo urged.

"Hey, kid." Rainbow Dash replied, gesturing to Pinkie Pie, "Kinda busy right now."

Pinkie Pie nodded her head in agreement with this statement.

"But this is important!" Scootaloo insisted; confused as to why her idol wasn't leaping into action by now.

"Oooh, Dashie, I think the audience wants an encore!" Pinkie Pie guessed.

"Heh, well they're not getting one; seriously, if I never sing that song again, it'll be too soon." Rainbow Dash replied in turn.

"Huh? What song?" Scootaloo asked, confused all over again.

"The one Rainbow Dash sang to me earlier," Pinkie Pie answered simply just as Rainbow Dash said "You don't wanna know."

Scootaloo titled her head, "Huh?"

Rainbow Dash gave Pinkie Pie a look and Pinkie Pie grinned back obliviously.

"Um," Scootaloo watched them exchange expressions for a couple of more seconds before shaking her head in an attempt to focus, "Right…well, I just thought you'd like to know that the Wonderbolts are here and they're signing autographs at the blue tent…?"

Rainbow Dash gasped, her profile slowly turning to face the pegasus filly, "Oh my gosh, I completely forgot!"

Pinkie Pie blanched. _Oh, no._

"Yeah you did!" Scootaloo semi-scolded and semi-agreed, "Come on; the line is already super long so we have to hurry!"

Rainbow Dash turned back to Pinkie Pie, "Pinkie, I…uh…"

Pinkie Pie stared back with a blank expression before forcing herself to say, "It's okay, Dashie. I'll just see you later."

Rainbow Dash's heart clenched.

_If it's okay then why does it feel so wrong?_

And then, as she stared into the depths of Pinkie Pie's sky blue eyes, she suddenly knew. She realized she was being tested; Pinkie Pie was testing her loyalty…

_But I'll just be leaving her for a little while_, she reasoned with herself. _It's not like I'm outright abandoning her forever…_

Still…it didn't sit right with her.

Rainbow Dash turned back to Scootaloo, "Scootaloo…uh…"

Scootaloo waited expectantly, her wings twitching in excitement.

Rainbow Dash smiled apologetically, "I'm going to have to pass."

Scootaloo's ears and mouth drooped to a frown, "Huh?" she said for the third time. "How come?"

"Well…" Rainbow Dash sneaked a look at Pinkie Pie, who was now smiling quietly at her with a relieved slump to her frame.

Scootaloo noticed this exchange too and immediately understood.

It was Pinkie Pie's fault for stealing away her role model.

Scootaloo sighed, "Okay, then. I guess…um, I guess I'll catch ya later then, Rainbow Dash." Scootaloo then proceeded to walk away agonizingly slow; all of this was done on purpose, of course, just in case it made Rainbow Dash change her mind.

And when Scootaloo felt a hoof tap her shoulder, she couldn't stop the smirk from creeping on her face. _I knew she'd-_

"Hey, Scoots, I know you're in a hurry and all, but you wouldn't mind getting them to sign this, would ya?" Rainbow Dash asked, holding out a red bandana that had been tied in her mane not five seconds ago.

From the way Scootaloo stared at the red bandana, you'd have thought Rainbow Dash had offered the key to all of Equestria's secrets and treasures.

"Oh, um, sure, Rainbow Dash; anything for you!" Scootaloo tried not to look too eager as she gingerly accepted the personal cloth.

"Thanks, kid!" Rainbow Dash said, mussing the filly's mane affectionately before she'd proudly run off with it between her teeth.

Rainbow Dash watched her leave with a smile.

"You know you're not going to get that back, right?" Pinkie Pie said, suddenly at her side.

Rainbow Dash chuckled, "Of course not."

~Skippy Dee Doo Dah~

It wasn't until later on that they had met up with Twilight Sparkle, their only other friend who'd attended the Square Dance Party since Fluttershy had graciously declined, saying that she was much too busy taking care of her animal friends- but everypony knew the real reason was because she hated crowded parties.

As for Rarity, she had declined participation as well, saying she was much too busy taking care of her clients-but everypony knew the real reason was because she wouldn't be caught dead at a "Square Dance" Party.

After Pinkie Pie had inevitably told Twilight Sparkle the news, the purple unicorn had reacted as much as they'd expected; once she had overcome her initial shock, she started asking questions.

Lots and lots of questions.

"How long have you two felt this way towards each other?"

"When did you decide to start a serious relationship?"

"What song?"

"Really?"

And all through it, Pinkie Pie was compliant to answer…but then the questions took a dark turn.

"How long do you think it'll last?"

"When do you plan on writing a letter to the Princess about your newfound relationship?"

"Do you plan on getting…physical?"

That's when Rainbow Dash knew she had to get them out of there and so feigned an overwhelming need to quench her thirst, dragging away a still babbling Pinkie Pie as she did.

Once they had dodged Twilight Sparkle's ammo of invasive inquiries, they started heading toward the dance floor which was, for the most part, empty. Probably had something to do with the line stemming from the blue tent at the corner of the whole party…

Then, just as they were mere feet away, Pinkie Pie suddenly ducked behind a bale of hay.

Rainbow Dash chuckled, "What are you doing?"

Pinkie Pie's bright blue eyes peered out from behind the hay bale meaningfully, "Hiding…and you should too."

Rainbow Dash lifted an eyebrow in confusion, "Why?"

Pinkie Pie's eyes rolled over to gaze at the dance floor and Rainbow Dash's own gaze followed suit.

Her eyes widened as she finally realized why Pinkie Pie was hiding.

Because there, out in the middle of the dance floor, stood Roseluck.

"Yikes," And suddenly Rainbow Dash was right beside Pinkie Pie, cowering behind the hay bale.

Pinkie Pie craned her neck to see around their shield of fodder, "Do you think she's mad at me?"

Rainbow Dash laughed, "Mad at you? Of course not! I'm the one she's mad at."

Pinkie Pie twisted her head back at Rainbow Dash, her eyes and mouth wide with surprise. "Dashie, look who she is with!"

Rainbow Dash worried at her lip, "Oh, no. Is she turning Applejack against us?"

Pinkie Pie shook her head, "She's playing Charades with Daisy!"

Rainbow anxiety disappeared to leave a blank expression on her face, "Wait, what?"

Pinkie Pie frantically pointed outwards, "Loooook!"

Rainbow Dash obeyed; stretching out her neck to take what was supposed to be a quick peek but eventually turned into a long stare, "Whaaaa...? Pinkie, she's not playing Charades with Daisy...she's kissing her."

Pinkie Pie crossed her forelegs in frustration, "Well, she was doing a great imitation of a fish just a second ago!"

Rainbow Dash broke her stare to give Pinkie Pie a funny look.

"Riiiiight…well, at least she's not making fishy faces at you anymore." Rainbow Dash pointed out with forced cheer; not that she wasn't happy that Roseluck had, apparently, gotten over her crush on Pinkie…it was just that she hated to think about their kiss.

Pinkie Pie shuddered, apparently feeling the same way, "Yeah…"

Awkward silence.

Realizing Pinkie Pie wasn't going to say anything more anytime soon, Rainbow Dash made the first move, "Uh…so, why don't we-"

And then, all in a blur, Pinkie Pie had suddenly leaned over and smashed her lips against Rainbow Dash's own.

Rainbow Dash eyes opened all the way and she made a tiny gasp into Pinkie Pie's mouth, while her wings sprang to life, flapping about and causing loose hay to stir & rustle.

Then, all too soon, Pinkie Pie ripped her mouth away; the stolen kiss couldn't have lasted more than five seconds.

Once the connection was broken, Rainbow Dash's wings went still and her eyes remained wide-open… before she narrowed them, "Why did you do that-I was just getting into it!"

Pinkie Pie giggled, strands of straw stuck in her mane, "Sorry…I just wanted to get Roseluck's taste out of my mouth..." she licked her lips contemplatively, "I think it worked." she grinned at a job well done.

Rainbow Dash grumbled, "I dunno what you're talking about because I didn't get a chance to taste _anything_." she pouted.

Pinkie Pie giggled, "Better luck next time!"

Rainbow Dash frowned, "Next time? Why not now?"

Pinkie Pie shook her head, "Nope!"

Rainbow Dash's eyes narrowed further, "Oh, come on, Pinks! You didn't give me a warning-you have to give a pony a warning before you go kissing them."

Pinkie Pie laughed, "No way! Being surprised is way more fun."

Rainbow Dash had had her mouth open to argue more for her case but, once she'd heard Pinkie Pie's words, a mischievous twinkle sparkled in her eye instead and her lips slowly formed a sly smirk.

Pinkie Pie went on, "-except when the surprise kiss is from somepony you don't like, then it's no fun at all! But you probably already knew that. Oh, and then there are those kisses I've read about where-"

Rainbow Dash had begun to scoot closer to the oblivious pink pony, the smirk gradually widening into a malicious grin.

"-like, what's up with that? I mean, don't get me wrong, our kisses are really nice and all but I never feel-"

Rainbow Dash's heart started to quicken with the suspense_, just a lil closer…_

"-do you think we were doing it wrong? Ooh, maybe we should ask Twilight since she's such a smarty-smart pants."

Rainbow Dash suddenly ceased her progression, "Wait-Twilight? Pinkie, we are not bringing Twilight into this relationship."

Pinkie Pie blinked with an eyebrow quirked, "I didn't say we were! I said-"

Recognizing the beginnings of another stream of aimless chatter, Rainbow Dash used this window of opportunity to complete her maneuver and steal away Pinkie Pie's words with a surprise kiss.

The kiss was nothing at all like the others had been; it wasn't an experiment driven by curiosity or a desperate attempt to drive away bitter guilt. It was just a kiss.

Rainbow Dash's eyes were closed and the change was a welcome relief. She no longer cared what her wings were doing or what Pinkie Pie's face looked like that at that particular moment. Right now, it was just their lips.

_And…was that Rice Krispies she tasted?_

Rainbow Dash smiled against Pinkie Pie's soft mouth and she started to deepen the kiss, eager for anything else Pinkie Pie had in store.

After some further investigation, Rainbow Dash detected a hint of marshmallow in there as well; in fact, the sugary taste in every curve and corner of Pinkie Pie's mouth was starting to become suffocatingly sweet… yet she couldn't seem to get enough.

And then, without warning, something wet splashed onto her face.

Rainbow Dash's eyes flew open and she pulled back, startled as she was.

But she was even more startled to find that she was now staring down at Pinkie Pie.

Rainbow Dash blinked, finally realizing that she had been holding Pinkie Pie flush on the ground the whole time. When did that happen?

"Uh…surprise?" she panted.

Pinkie Pie giggled as droplets of water from the tips of Rainbow Dash's mane's strands rained down on her face, "Sorry! I think you accidentally activated my clown flower." she said, pointing out the accessory on her dress.

Rainbow Dash blinked at the offensive plastic flower curiously; how had she not noticed it before?

"It's too bad we had such a good kiss going on!" she lamented regretfully.

Rainbow Dash blushed, pushing off of Pinkie slightly yet still straddling her.

"Heh…it was, wasn't it?" she thought out loud loftily.

Pinkie Pie giggled, "It was rainbowtastic!"

"Really?" Rainbow Dash asked, not sure if Pinkie Pie meant she had tasted like actual rainbow liquid (she would know) or if it was just an adjective she'd made up in honor of her name to summarize the whole thing.

Pinkie Pie nodded all the same. "Totally! Like, it was the best surprise ever."

Rainbow Dash grinned, inspired to share her own experience, "Ya know, I kinda thought you'd taste like cotton candy," she admitted.

Pinkie Pie cocked her head, "What _do_ I taste like?" she asked curiously.

"Rice Krispies treats."

Pinkie Pie eyes brightened, "I sound delicious!"

Rainbow Dash laughed, "Yeah…" she trailed off, her mind already gravitating back to the kiss.

Meanwhile, Pinkie Pie waited patiently for Rainbow Dash to sort through her thoughts while she herself was content to stare straight at her, merrily at first, until eventually the corners of her mouth started turning down in a frown along with her eyes gradually widening to their limit before she finally gasped in realization, "Oh my gosh, Dashie!"

Rainbow Dash's mind was forced to the present, "What?" she asked uneasily, concerned.

"Your eyes!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed and then, squinting, added, "They look… different."

Rainbow Dash's brief panic subsided and she released a sigh of relief, "It's just the makeup, Pinks…"

Pinkie Pie shook her head fiercely. "No, it's something else."

Rainbow Dash didn't know what to say to that so she instead waited for Pinkie Pie to fill in the blank, steadily staring back at her.

Pinkie Pie gasped again, softly "They're…" she stopped herself, her eyes shimmering with clarity.

Rainbow Dash waited some more, her wings beating anxiously.

"Magenta." Pinkie Pie whispered so faintly that Rainbow Dash almost didn't catch it.

But, just to be sure…

"Magenta?"

Pinkie Pie nodded resolutely, "Yes."

Rainbow Dash blinked incredulously from the anticlimactic answer, "So?"

Pinkie Pie looked like she'd been struck, "So? So…so…so you've never had magenta eyes before! They've always been a rose color."

Rainbow Dash flinched and her gaze hardened, "A _rose_ color?"

Pinkie Pie subtly nodded.

Rainbow Dash turned her face away, "I don't know, Pinkie. Nothing has changed about my eyes. Maybe it's you who's changed."

Pinkie Pie looked to be seriously considering that possibility, slowly nodding, "Maybe…"

"Besides, what's the difference? They're practically the same color." Rainbow Dash pointed out harshly, annoyed. Annoyed that Pinkie Pie was making a big deal about the exact hue of her eyes…annoyed that Pinkie Pie thought her eye color had resembled a rose in the first place…but, most of all, she was annoyed that she had actually gotten her to care about what she thought of her eyes at all.

Pinkie Pie smiled delicately, "Well, personally, I like magenta better."

~Mindless Fluff You May Disregard/Epilogue~

If Rainbow Dash had to choose the best thing that had come out of her relationship with Pinkie Pie, it would probably be her schedule change.

Of course, she had been annoyed at first for having to wake up early but now she realized what a good thing it was that her schedule had expanded to her actually being awake in the morning instead of snoozing it away on a secluded cloud somewhere until noon. Because now that it had, she was reminded of the sunrise's beauty again, the joy of a new day's beginning, and the thrill of all the possible turns the day could take.

And seeing Pinkie Pie first thing in the morning wasn't so bad either…

It had only been after much pleading and instances of the puppy dog face on Pinkie Pie's part that she had finally convinced Rainbow Dash to spend her first of many nights at Sugarcube Corner, right after the Square Dance Party. This one was under the pretext of a slumber party, of which the Cakes were skeptical of but nevertheless granted in the end.

The young couple were sleeping side-by-side in Pinkie Pie's four poster bed, which more than made up for Rainbow Dash's company.

But, oddly enough, the earth pony was the one who was wide awake, unlike the pegasus who slept as soundly as if she were curled up on a cloud.

Well, she was sleeping soundly until the earth pony poked her snout, hindering her peaceful snores into a pig-like snort.

Rainbow Dash's eyes opened groggily, "Huh? Pinkie? What ya do that for?"

"I'm just testing to see if you're real or not." Pinkie Pie reasoned.

Rainbow Dash eyes screwed up, "Well, I'm as real as I am awake when I am asleep, don't worry."

"I know…well…it's just…you know that princess story, where everything turns back to boring old pumpkins and mice at midnight?"

Rainbow Dash rubbed her eyes, "Yeah…kinda like what Twilight did for the Grand Galloping Gala?"

"Yes! Well, its midnight now so I thought-"

Rainbow Dash smiled, amused, "You thought I'd turn into a boring, old pumpkin?"

"No! I mean…well…"

"Ya know I'm not a pumpkin, right?"

"Yes…"

It was quiet, excluding the faint crickets chirping outside.

And then Pinkie Pie burst out laughing, "I remember that train ride!"

Rainbow Dash only cringed a little and then smiled softly, "Well, since I've reassured you…" and then rolled over to face the other side of the room, awaiting sleep's returning embrace.

Pinkie Pie was quiet for only a little awhile longer, "That's how I felt about the Wonderbolts, too."

Rainbow Dash's ear perked at this casual acknowledgement, "The Wonderbolts? …You thought they'd turn me into a pumpkin?"

Pinkie Pie sighed, disappointed that Rainbow Dash had attempted to make a joke of it, "No…I thought they'd turn you into a Wonderbolt."

And for the longest time, Rainbow Dash didn't say anything.

"I still can't believe they were fake."

Pinkie Pie smiled sadly, "Would it have made any difference if they had been real?"

Rainbow Dash shrugged, which Pinkie Pie felt more than saw, "I don't know…but I guess I should have known the Apple family, great farming folks that they are, couldn't have afforded the actual Wonderbolts at their Square Dance Party."

Pinkie Pie sighed, "Only a true fan would have known they were fake though." She said pointedly.

Rainbow Dash frowned, just about fed up "Pinkie Pie, I'm not going anywhere."

Pinkie Pie didn't respond.

Rainbow Dash turned back over, creasing the comforter, and stared at Pinkie Pie savagely, her face glowing in the midnight, "I'm not, Pinkie. That won't be for a long time."

Pinkie Pie stared right past her, out through her window where the big, big world lay beyond.

Rainbow Dash reached over and tipped the pink pony's chin up, breaking her glazed expression and forcing her to look at her magenta eyes, "I'm here right now and that's all that matters, okay? Don't get yourself down over something that hasn't even happened yet."

Pinkie Pie sighed drearily, "Okay, Dashie."

In a last attempt to comfort her girlfriend, Rainbow Dash wrapped her forelegs around Pinkie Pie's shoulders fiercely, burying her head into the crook of her neck. "I won't leave you." she mumbled.

_Yet._

* * *

><p><strong>Final Author's Note:<strong> What? You didn't actually think Rainbow Dash would come up with a cutesy-wootsy song about her feelings, did you? That's not her style! (Sorry if you were…)

At least I didn't end it with "And it was all just a dream." Haha. :p

Should I? o.o

And yes I did have to hook Roseluck up with somepony because I'd hate to have her be all by her lonesome. :( Besides, Daisy and Roseluck? Don't lie, you saw that coming.

Anyway, let me just say, this fanfiction was quite a surprise for me. I thought I knew where I was going with it most of the time but then it went places I never thought it would. I guess you could say this fanfic is more of an experiment than anything.

But you know what? I'm glad it is the way it is now; I think it is much better. And no one will even know what other ideas I had for it because it's all locked safely away into my brain! :D

But I really wish I had a Beta Reader before I published it because, when I looked back at the first few chapters, I found myself cringing. It really is amazing how naïve I seemed all those months ago and I wish I had held off on publishing since it clearly wasn't ready for an audience yet.

And it was as I was scouring through my own creation, I realized some things (read: a lot) desperately needed to be edited or just completely cut out.

So, if you're one of the first reviewers that I obtained somehow and you happen to want to reread "The Pinkie and I", you'll most likely notice the revisions.

By the way, there will be a sequel! But it will hopefully be way better written than The Pinkie and I.

No, you do not have to read the sequel.

But if you do want to read the sequel, which is going to be called The Rainbow and I (I know, totally original title, right? trollolololol), just know that it will tie up some loose ends in this fanfic. But things definitely get weirder… just a precaution.

Anyway, I don't own the lyrics from "Girlfriend" by Avril Lavigne (though if anyone is actually wondering, I did tweak a section of the lyrics to make it more…appropriate. This story is rated K+, after all…)

I also do not own the rejected song choice "Disgusting" by Ke$ha/Miranda Cosgrove (And it was rejected for good reason! Honestly, the last thing I would be is flattered if my boyfriend dedicated a song called "Disgusting" to me XD My head-canon Pinkie Pie is a lot more forgiving)


End file.
